A Helping Hand
by jerniman
Summary: Naruto's life has changed forever after this fight with Sasuke in the Final Valley. Now he's in need of a hand in more ways than one. But first, he has to wake up, and someone has to step out of the background to take her place front and center. Slight OOC and AU. Rated M for Lemons & Language. Please read and review. [naruhina]
1. In A Room

**Author's notes: This is a piece that I have been working on for about a year. I was inspired by the story "My Right Hand" written by petran a few years back. The cannons didn't address or talk about what happened after the fight in the Final Valley or Naruto's recovery and adaptation to life with only half of a right arm. This is absolutely a naruhina story, other characters will be present and will be part of the story and there will be some lemony goodness as well.

I do want to take a moment to thank my friends Ponchoninjax3, Tallman0029, Darkwing83 & CaptinPanduh

/ Chapter 1: In a room \

In a room, like all of the others, off-white walls with cool gray tiled floors, a single one door and window looking out onto the village. It let a light breeze to rustle the cream-colored curtains with the sound of the material mixing with a light breeze pushing through. The mid-morning sun warmed everything it touched including a young blonde hair man who laid in the only bed in the room. Machines beeped periodically, and tubes connected to his body dripped fluids to aid his recovery. His sleep had not been interrupted for several weeks, physically his body was healing faster than anyone else, but for him, it was taking longer than expected. The doctors could only conclude his slow progress was due in part to the enormous amount of chakra he expended and the extreme exhaustion.

The doctors and nursing staff periodically checked the machines and replaced fluids when during their rounds and kept him comfortable. The remains of his right arm laid on top of the sheets, the end of his appendage wrapped in bandages stained red with blood still seeping from the wound that had once been his forearm and hand. The injury was not life-threatening but continued to bleed and seep as part of the body's way of healing, pushing out the damaged blood and tissues; often the simplest things in nature were the most effective, albeit time-consuming.

People had sat with him every day, but time kept marching forward and they could only come every few days and then every few weeks and then not at all. He was once again left alone with no one to watch over him or to miss him when he didn't come home in the evening. The sounds of people and equipment could be heard moving past his door. Everyone went about their daily lives, blissfully unaware that the man they proclaimed a "war hero" was still sleeping.

A table on the other side of the bed filled with flowers and "gets well soon" notes from some of those who once scorned, scolded and all around hated the young man just a few years ago. Among the gifts of flowers and balloons, sat a small ceramic blue vase with the Konoha seal hand painted on one side and the Uzumaki swirl on the opposite side. The Vase held an assortment of flowers with a pair of Stargazer Lilies, one in lavender and orange as the focal point of the arrangement. A sealed note sat at the base of the rare Lilies with the words, my hero, neatly and delicately written on the on the envelope.

No matter how much of a hero the villagers may proclaim him and some probably think he stopped the war single handily, but the truth is he had help from friends and enemies. People joined together, set aside their differences to confront a common enemy, but humans are creatures of habit and tend to fall back into their old habits. Old grudges or rivalries find their way back to the surface, and the cycle of hatred and distrust emerges once again. However, the younger generation has moved past the old ways and begun working together to build peace for the common good and future generations. After everyone went back to their homes, to their families and friends and begun the process of grieving, morning and rebuilding from the ravages of war.

Four weeks had passed since the fight between two young men in the Final Valley each fought for his own core belief of protecting those most precious to him and his home. One held the ideal of love and understanding while the other with force and an iron fist to enforce his ideas. The cost of their fight was the blondes right arm and his raven-haired best friend's left. Both arms lost in an extraordinary display of power – not just chakra but of sheer willpower.

The reality of the past weeks has not fallen away from those who survived the ravages of war, but they adjusted to life with the loss of a loved one, rebuilding their homes and businesses; lives forever changed. But there was a feeling of hesitation that hung in the air as if the world itself was stuck in a moment – holding its breath - waiting for the hero of the war to awaken. Among those caught between moments was a young woman. A Shinobi of the front line, like many others she experienced horrors of war, the loss, the pain and now must figure out how to move past the loss of her cousin Neji; who sacrificed his life to protect her and the man she loves. The man who now holds the world on bated breath as to when he will return – return to her.

She was among of the group to retrieve Naruto and the last Uchiha from the Final Valley, Sakura had tended to both of the young men and stabilized their conditions. She couldn't help at worry and had to fight back all the tears she wanted to shed at the sight of the Uzumaki, bloodied, battered and missing part of an arm. He would need help to heal and recover, a role she planned to fill when the time came. To be there for him, just as he was always there for her.

Hinata's performance during the war had not gone unnoticed by her father, who finally acknowledged her and decided that she would become the next clan leader. In the light of her new reality came the realization of new responsibilities, tasks, and requirements on her time. Not only did she have her regular duties as a Kunoichi, but her commitments to her clan had increased significantly.

She spent almost every day by Naruto's side during the first week of his recovery wanting to be there at every moment and hoped to be the first person he saw when he finally woke up. But time kept marching, and his eyes didn't open. After some time, she had to start taking missions along with the demands of her clan; her time with her sleeping prince became shorter and shorter. It pained her to be away from him; it also pained her to be near him, stuck within a moment was very painful. Hinata regretted days she was not able to go to the hospital, but she made sure to look in on him with her family's bloodline limit, just before going to bed and dreaming sweet dreams of him.

Hinata spent the one night pouring out her heart to him in the form of a note, she tore it up and wrote it over and tore it up again and rewrote it again several times over. The war had changed everyone profoundly, and she realized that all the years of being shy and hiding in the shadows too afraid to speak to the blonde had to end, and she needed to express her feelings to Naruto. Life can change in a moment without warning, one second someone's there, and in the next could be gone. The beautiful young woman was brave enough to profess her feelings for him during the Pain attack, but she wasn't sure if he heard her or even remembered that moment. She wanted him to know everything, needed him to know how she felt and could only hope he felt the same way.

She was grateful, in some ways to be so busy, it kept her mind focused, otherwise, she would have spent every waking moment in the hospital. She figured that if there was time to think that she would have just gotten more upset and would have descended into the realm of 'what-if's' over Naruto's condition. Her subconscious had already pushed those dark thoughts into the forefront a few times; she found that thinking so much was not always a good thing and sometimes she wished it would just "shut up" for a few minutes.

One of the rare days that Hinata had some downtime, she took the time to visit Naruto and hopefully be able to catch him awake. As she walked through the hospital doors the hustle and bustle of the staff going about their duties was a sight to behold. People moved around in organized chaos it might make someone wonder how anything gets done. The smell of medicines, cleaning solutions and humans at their worst hung in the air but; she ignored them all, her focus was on one room, or more specifically its occupant, whom she missed him terribly.

Today her plan was simple, sit with him and offering her support for as long as possible. She also made two Bento's, one for him and another for herself, just in case he woke up hungry. Thinking ahead and being a practical person was sometimes a burden, but she would sit with him every day for the rest of their lives. Hinata wore a faint blush across her cheeks as she moved swiftly into the hospital toward the man she loved, and into a waiting elevator.

A few moments later the bluenette emerged from the elevator and moved down the hallway towards Naruto's room past the nurse's station, failing to notice the eye's following her as she went past. While Hinata was lost in her thoughts and turned the last corner; she nearly collided with a pink hair Kanochi, Haruno Sakura, who appeared to be in a rush. Hinata's quick reflexes and exceptional dexterity afforded her the ability to avoid a head-on collision. Swinging her right foot behind her left and shifting her weight to the rear following her right foot avoiding Sakura. Despite the sudden move, the young Heiress never lost track of her precious Beno's.

Sakura was so focused on the chart she was reading and failed to realize Hinata was there until it was almost too late. She was surprised, to say the least, but after coming to a stop to speak with the bluenette. "Whoohhhww, Hinata, we almost one heck of a collision, are you alright?"

Hinata gave a small smile. "Ohh. Yes, I try to be mindful that people are sometimes running around here or focused on other things. I'm glad we didn't run into each other." Hinata said softly.

Sakura eyed the Hyūga heiress, who wore white chiffon blouse embroidered with delicate pastel flowers, a soft pale lavender cardigan to cover her shoulders. Her white skirt floated around her ankles with the light rose pink band that accented its hem. Her presence was not what Sakura noticed, the orange fabric sack that showed the bento boxes held within. The pink hair woman smirked, knowing exactly where the shy heiress was going. Sakura was elated that Hinata had not given up on the blonde knucklehead.

Hinata's cheeks flushed at Sakura's teasing and gripped the bento bag tightener. She wanted to deflect the attention from the reason she was on the VIP floor and whom she was going to visit. "How is Sasuke-san?" Hinata asked politely, not that she cares too much about the accused traitor, but it was a way of deflecting the attention.

Sakura's face lit up a bit at the sound of her loves name, "he is recovering well, but will not be able to leave for another week or so. Even then he will still need to take it easy and recover after being discharged." As quickly as her face brightened, Sakura's face darkened a bit as her eyes dropped to the floor and held the clipboard to her chest.

Hinata sensed her friend's concern and placed a hand on the other woman's shoulder to gaining her attention for a moment. Her pupal-less eyes met the other woman's emerald eyes expressing a caring look.

"He'll be arrested once he's released and has to answer for the crimes he committed over the years." Her eyes fell back to the floor in a vain attempt to hide her fear, "I have tried to talk to Tsunade-sama but since she is no longer Hokage her input only goes so far now. I just hope that Kakashi-sensei remembers the time we spent together on Team-7," she finished with a sigh.

Hinata listened to her pink haired friend, her personal feelings for Uchiha Sasuke were beside the point she knew Sakura loved Sasuke, but at the same time, his actions contributed to Naruto's current status. Sakura had asked Naruto to bring Sasuke back to the village when they were young; the request made Naruto train harder at almost every waking moment and experience of pain and emotional upset in the process. All of the hours of training and years of blood, sweat, and tears, however, make Naruto the man he is now - a hero to the world. A man who was sleeping in a bed while the world passed him.

"I am sure that things will work out, he has a lot to answer for but, in the end, he did the right thing," Hinata said and gave a small smile.

"I hope you're right, Hinata. I really do." Sakura's face was still somber with a faraway look in her eyes. After a moment the medic-nin's attention turned back to the matter at hand – her friend's ongoing blonde crush. "So, are you going to see a certain someone?" Sakura's expression shifted as she pushed aside her concerns about Sasuke and his uncertain future.

Hinata's face flushed at the question, they both knew why and whom she was going to visit, but she couldn't help but tease the shy heiress. Hinata's hands clenched the Bento satchel tighter as she averted her eyes from her friend.

After a few moments Sakura had to let her friend go, she did enjoy messing with Hinata about Naruto, but she was working, and had other things that needed her attention. "Go see him, Hinata," Sakura said as she walked past the shy woman. "Maybe give him a kiss, you might wake him up," Sakura said with a smile and a little giggle as she rushed away. She did regret not being able to see Hinata's face but had a good idea that it was very red.

Hinata stood in the middle of the hallway, her face beet red; and Sakura's giggles fading into the background under the noise of the hospital. Collecting her thoughts, Hinata continued walking to her original destination but, Sakura's comment floated around her mind. The idea reminded her of one of her favorite childhood stories; in which the prince awoke a princess from her eternal slumber with just a kiss – true loves first kiss.

After a few moments, the young madden stood in front of the room where her sleeping prince lay, her inner thoughts kept moving back to the idea planted by Sakura a few moments ago. She just stood and stared at the closed door, trying to push the idea away, but it was a losing battle. Her inner goddess told her to, _"march in there and kiss him,"_ but she argued that kissing him in his current state would be unethical, creepy, weird and wrong. But her inner-self countered each argument with images of his smile, bright blue eyes, his lips. Her cheeks flushed again, Hinata kicked her self mentally and yelled at the goddess, _"now was not the time."_

The goddess relented but was not done with the argument and finally, Hinata was able to focus on just opening the door. She knocked on the door as if expecting and hoping that he would respond but alas her ears met nothing but silence from the room. Her shoulder slumped a bit with a bit of disappointment that he had not miraculously recovered and would be sitting the bed with a smile to greet her. She imagined for a moment they would laugh together, talking all day long, he would eat the food she prepared, and he would be all hers.

Hinata slid the door open and hesitantly walking into the room, her eyes fell upon the familiar sight, his messy golden hair, minus his bright sapphire blue eyes; he was still in the same position, unchanged, unyielding and unconscious. With a heavy heart, she walks by the table of flowers and gifts, untouched and unattended for weeks. The balloons hover low and partially deflated, the flowers once bright and beautiful, were wilted, and dark from lack of attention. She took note that the Stargazer Lilies were still standing tall; however, they were looking a little sick, but they kept their color; she made a mental note to water them at every visit.

She moved to the chair that sat next to the bed opposite the door and looked upon him, playing close attention to the bandages around the remains of his right arms, that was still seeping blood. She thought about how much of an adjustment it would be for him, and all the problems he was going to have to overcome. It was going to be bigger than any of his previous training and would be the most difficult challenge he has ever faced. She steeled herself to be there for him every step of the way – whether he wanted her help or not.

"Naruto-kun?" Her soft voice broke the silence of the room, but after a few moments, she was met with silence still. "I'm here. Just let me know if you need anything." She was met with silence once again, but she tried not to feel discouraged or loss of faith in him. He never gave up, and she would not give up either, no matter how much she wanted in the past.

Every time she visited, she would sit and tell him about her day or days with no stuttering, stammering or hesitation, a completely normal conversation, albeit one-sided, she was still proud of her progress. She hoped that it would continue once he woke up from this extended nap. Time felt like it melted away as she continued her one-sided conversation, laughing and giggling, with the hope that something would spark him to return. At some points, she felt like he was there with her but then she would look at him only to remember he was still sleeping.

A knock on the door stopped her quiet conversation and moved her attention to the visitor.

"Come in, please." Hinata spoke up for him.

The door opened slowly and the fifth Hokage, Tsunade stood in the doorway. Hinata immediately jumped to her feet out of habit for the woman who was walking into the room. The older woman smiled at the young woman who now stood next to the bed.

 _"She's here again, that's good for the both of them,"_ she thought to herself. But, pushed it away for the moment and focused on the matter at hand.

"Hinata, it's good to see you. I hear you have been busy, but it appears you still make time for the important things in life," she gave a glance to the young man in the bed as she spoke. "Has he done anything yet? He can't just keep loafing around like this is a vacation. Just because he is a hero doesn't mean there isn't work to do." Her comments delivered in jest but also knowing that her words would enrage and infuriate the whiskered cheeked teen – it was her way of trying to wake him up.

The blonde woman's words annoyed someone in the room, but it was not the young man who was laying in the bed. Hinata is a polite and decent woman, but she did not appreciate the former Hokage's words, even if they were in jest or meant to motivate Naruto. "Excuse me, Tsunade-sama." She did not bow and spoke with a slightly angry edge. "You know much he hates being in the hospital, and I am sure you remember how much trouble it was to keep him in this building." Hinata's eyes narrowed at the other woman – no one messes with her Naruto-Kun, especially since he could not speak for himself. Tsunade smirked at the young woman's words and knew this would be her reaction. Hinata was always there to defend the boy she has cared for so much over the years.

"Settle down Hinata," Tsunade raised her hands defensively as she spoke. "I am just joking with you; I know he isn't doing this on purpose because I know there are two women in this room who would kick his ass for upsetting them." Not that she feared the young Hyūga, she also knew that Hinata would defend the golden-haired boy against anyone, she proved that over the years. But Hinata also would not take kindly to being the butt of one of Naruto's pranks and, there was no doubt that she wouldn't hesitate to make him regret his decision.

"Anyway, it's good to see you're here. I was hoping to run into you, I have a favor to ask."

"A favor? What can I do for you?" The heiress asked curiously.

The older woman picked up the chart that hung from the foot of the bed and began flipping through the pages of medical information and reports. Being a medic and doctor the young man's health would always be something she's involved. Her apprentice and her former aide had been heading up, and primary care gives but she has kept a close watchful eye during the weeks of his treatment. Looking up from the clipboard, with a raised eyebrow, a smirk slowly forming across her lips as she looks directly into the light lavender orbs of the young woman standing next to the hospital bed. Hinata felt the other woman's gaze burning into her very soul, but she did not falter and would not be intimidated – not anymore and not by anyone.

"What can I do for you?"

"Well since 'Mister I'm going to be Hokage' has insisted on lying in bed," Tsunade's voice had a loving but mocking tone, meant to annoy the blonde boy. "I need someone to look in on his place once in a while. If I know him, the place hasn't been taken care of very well. Hell, there might be plants growing out of milk cartons or maybe a new type of life form cultivating in the refrigerator." The older woman joked at the end even with her brows furrowed together.

Hinata cringed at the visuals that formed in her mind as the word fell into her ears, but her heart fluttered with excitement. She was being asked to go into his apartment. A place she had only visited once but had never gone inside. The place where he lived; ate his meals, slept and showered. Her mind again started building a visual that caused her cheeks to brighten. Hinata's flushed face didn't go unnoticed by the other woman, who grinded. Only able to guess but having a good idea of what the young woman was thinking.

"W-why me? Why not Sakura-san?" Hinata asked not wanting to seem too _eager_ to take the assignment but also didn't want to anyone else to do it either.

"Well Sakura has been very busy with her hospital duties and to be honest, you were the first person I thought of for this task. You are dependable, honest and one of the only people, I think he would be comfortable with you taking care of his apartment." Tsunade spoke with sincerity and honesty toward the young woman on the other side of the bed.

Hinata mulled over the words, while her mind flutters around with images of preparing meals in Naruto's kitchen and snuggling in his bed after a long day's work. Her imagination reeled and wandered into more steamy places – his lips touching hers, his hands creasing her skin. She suddenly shook her head to clear the thoughts from the forefront, but she would revisit them later.

"If you don't want to do it, then I will ask someone else, maybe Tenten or Ino." The former Hokage knew her statement would seal the deal. Since the idea of anyone going into Naruto's apartment wouldn't go over well with either the bluenette or the golden-haired boy, the former was determined to handle this request herself.

"NO," Hinata exclaimed in a mixture of panic and excitement. " _Damn it, I almost blew my chance to be close to Naruto-kun,"_ she chastised herself.

"It's no problem; it's the least I can do since he has done some much for me and everyone over the years. Please don't bother anyone else with this task." Hinata's words were confident and strong. "However, I don't have a way to get into his apartment." It was a minor detail but, if a simple key stood in the way, she would reduce the door to a pile of kindling and replace it later.

"I've already thought about that and not going to be a problem. Kakashi should have a spare key left by the 3rd Hokage. He will be expecting you anyway since this was his idea in the first place." Tsunade spoke a mater-of-face tone.

"I will see him in the morning. Thank you for thinking of me for this assignment," Hinata bowed showing her appreciation.

"This is not a mission or order and will not be paid by the village. It's just a favor to a friend, that's all." Tsunade explained while performing her examination.

The medic-nin moved around the bed, Hinata stepping out of the way to the foot of the bed, her gaze took in his full form. Her eyes settled on the now exposed wound that had was the remains of his forearm. All that remained was damaged tissues; she could see the remains of the radius and ulna could be seen but only partly; the skin had been pulled and grafted to seal the wound but was not complete. With the bandages removed, the smell of flesh, blood and cleaning solutions permeated the room and her nostrils.

Hinata only looked at the wound for a short time before a bit of nausea set in, causing her to look away; she saw blood and serious injuries, but never with someone whom she cared about so much. Hinata knew the wound was severe but seeing it exposed; she understood how severe it was and how much healing was still needed. "He's not going to stay in the hospital when he wakes up. I guess it might be a good thing he's still sleeping." Her thoughts were logical and analytical, but her heart still panged with sadness, she would tie him to the bed if it meant he would heal properly. "Tying him to the bed would not be such a bad thing either, I will have to keep that in mind." Her inner Goddess smiled with a mischievous look on her face.

Hinata turned away while Tsunade worked, she needed to focus elsewhere; she remembered that the lilies needed watering and took a break from the ravages of war. No words were exchanged between the two women as they went about their respective tasks, each in their thoughts but joined together by a common blonde-haired blue-eyed thread.

After a few minutes of watering the plants and cleaning up the wilted petals and leaves, Hinata took a moment to use the attached private washroom. Sliding the washroom door closed she walked to the bedside and noticed the bandages were clean. Tsunade was standing at the foot of the bed once again writing on the clipboard. Hinata stood politely silent until the other woman completed her notes, and placed the clipboard back onto the bed.

"How is he doing? It looks like the wound has a long way to go," Hinata asks out of genuine concern.

"Physically, he's doing well and not in any mortal danger, but you are right that his arm is taking a long time to heal. Even with his enhanced healing abilities from the Biju, it's taking time. I suspect that it might be his way of taking a well-deserved rest too." The former Hokage spoke in a matter-of-fact way, never moving her eye off her patient.

Hinata was not looking at the other woman who was speaking but looked at Naruto longingly, hoping and praying he would wake up. Even if she was not in the room, all she wanted was for him to wake up and return to her. She had been crying herself to sleep with upset and loneliness every night. "I hope you are right he has certainly earned a break, but there are plenty of places we ..." Hinata suddenly realized her words and instantly turned red, revealing her inner desire. "I-I meant **HE** could go," Hinata's voice stuttered and became quiet.

Tsunade chuckled at the young woman's faux pas, but it was also endearing to the young Heiress, especially when it came to Naruto. "I am sure you could help him with vacation planning, your very organized and well thought out," the compliment made Hinata shift her gaze to the floor as her outlook got a bit brighter.

" _Is that what everyone thinks of me? The 'reliable', 'dependable', 'organized' and 'boring'_ friend. _Is that all I am to them?"_ While she prided herself on being ever prepared, it also hurt a bit to know everyone thinks of her as being boring.

Tsunade noticed Hinata's silent contemplation, and stepped closer, placing a heavy hand on the young woman's shoulder. "Hinata, you are doing great, we all appreciate your diligence, and when he wakes up I am sure he will be grateful as well," the older woman spoke softly. "I think he will need plenty of help and you are the best person for the job. He is hard headed and might not want to admit that he needs help. You might even have to kick him in the ass occasionally." She smiled as Hinata frowned at the thought of having to get forceful with the blue-eyed man, but she would do it to make sure he healed properly.

"I will do my best to be there for him when he needs help and if he doesn't cooperate." Hinata's eyes darkened a bit, and a smirk pulled over her lips. "I will just have to make him, cooperate."

The two women both chuckled a bit but also had a mutual understanding.

Tsunade's gaze hardened and she looked eye's with Hinata, "Just be patient and kind to him as I know you will. If he does cause you problems," she smirked. "Give him a whack on the head, that usually gets him back in line."

Hinata beamed at the word of encouragement but didn't like the idea of hurting Naruto when he was trying to recover. She focused on the positive and said, "I will do my best for Naruto-kun."

The blond-haired woman gave a gentle smile to Hinata before leaving the room without another word.

Once Tsunade left the room, Hinata sat down in her previous spot and after a moment continued speaking to the young man. While she was telling him about her plans to replant the Lilies that were sitting in the room. A groaning sound overshadowed her quiet voice and abruptly caused her to stop speaking. Her face turned a bright shade of pink with embarrassment not realizing that it was lunch time and her stomach was letting her know it was time to eat. With an embarrassed look painted on her face, she looked at the young man expecting and almost hoping that he would have woken up. Alas, her stomachs hungry growling made no difference to the situation.

"I made you some lunch, if you wake up, you can have it. I'm sure it will be better than the fluids they have been feeding you for these last few weeks." No response came back to her words.

Leaning closer and placing her hand upon his upper arm, his skin was so warm and smooth over the toned bicep muscle. "If you wake up, we can go to Ichiracku's, and I'll buy you all you can eat." She figured a little temptation might help, even though her wallet would not appreciate it much. But, if a bit of bribery got him to open his eyes, then it would be worth the financial hit.

She watched him for a few moments but there was not even a flicker of his eyes, she squeezed his arm a bit. "I guess you will wake up when you're ready; I will be here as much as I can until you do." Hinata stood and walked over to a small table near the door and retrieved the Bentos's. She sat back in her chair and pulled each box then opened the first one on her lap. "I know you are not a fan of veggies, but I made your favorites in the other. If you wake up I'll show you," her words were met with silence. Some people might get frustrated or upset but not Hinata. She understood and accepted the recovery process was going to be a long process and she was ready to put in the time to see it through to the end.

After about 20 minutes, Hinata finished her Bento, looking longingly to the male in the room, she noticed that his face was looking a bit too scraggly, he was always cleanly shaven. Whenever she was on a mission with him, he took the time to shave in the morning. She thought that he would not like the idea of being seen in an un-kept manor, it may be presumptuous to assume he didn't want to be unshaven, but he always seemed to care about shaving. An idea to address this problem popped into her mind, and she made another mental note to bring some things from his place tomorrow.

The hours passed slowly, Hinata drifted off for an hour or so but was awoken by the nurse coming by during her duty rounds. Hinata stood and stepped out when the nurse asked her to leave the room, so she could change his bed linens. Hinata offered to help, but the older woman curtly dismissed her from the room, by suggesting she get a snack from the vending machines at the end of the hall. The woman's tone and suggestion did not sit well and earned an unfavorable look from the Hyūga. She could tell the woman held some hostility, but toward whom was the mystery.

Going to the vending machines was not something the young woman was not going to do, she stood outside of the room, trying not to let her seething leak out. Her arms crossed over her ample chest, head down eyes closed, with her right foot on the wall. While not the most dignified way for the Hyūga heiress to look but she was in a rare mood – pissed. _"Who the hell does she think she is? Dismissing me from the room like a child!"_ She realized she was angry but didn't know exactly why.

The door opened, and the nurse stepped out and slammed the sliding door shut behind herself with a thud, echoing in the hallway. She looked to her right toward Hinata and scoffed, "you can go back in if you want. I don't know why someone of the Hyūga clan would bother with him. If you ask me he should be in the prison wing along with that Uchiha boy, they are both dangerous and should be locked away." Her lip pulled upward in a scoffing sneer.

That was it, the straw that broke the preverbal camel's back. Hinata cracked and turned to the woman full on, just a small gap between their faces, but neither woman yielded in their intense staring contest. The air around them became charged with emotion.

 _"NOW YOU LISTEN HERE, YOU CRONE. DON'T YOU EVER SPEAK BADLY ABOUT NARUTO-KUN, HE RISKED HIS LIFE FOR YOU AND EVERYONE IN THE WORLD, LOSING HIS ARM FOR HIS EFFORT!"_ Those were the words she wanted to yell at the other woman, but she just couldn't muster the courage. Her eyes dropped and so did her stomach at her own weakness, she felt like the little girl she had once been, not the front-line fighter who stood against the darkness that threatened all life.

A slight scoff and snort of derision came from the nurse as she smiled smugly. "See, you know I'm right. He's a threat and dangerous, you shouldn't associate with such filth. Find a nice man to take care of you. I'll make sure he is treated the way he deserves." A creepy smile formed on the woman's wrinkled lips and face.

Hinata didn't like the nurse's attitude and had to do something, to say something, she couldn't just stand there and let this person talk about her Naruto-kun in such a negative way. She had worked too hard and come so far to be seen as weak again. She had to be strong for him and for herself.

"You are wrong." Hinata could only muster a low voice. She wanted to yell and scream, even strike the women down, but she just couldn't make such a bold display. "He fought for you, for me, for everyone but you can't see past the Fox." She finally met the nurse's gaze, "well if you can't see that he is a good man, who cares and has worked hard for everything. Then that's your problem, and maybe you should take a hard look at yourself and not judge him for something that was not his FAULT!" Her tone grew louder but not to the level beyond a normal conversation.

The nurse was mildly amused by the pale-eyed girl defending Naruto but was not going to yield her position in front of the heiress or flinch as she was locked into a staring contest with the young woman. The nurse was sure about the boy, and no one could persuade her to the contrary, not a kage, not a Hyūga – no one. "Well, I guess you are so blind to what he is and will have to wait until he destroys you or your family and kills someone closest to you." The nurse said with no hesitation and scowled even harder at Hinata. "Suit yourself, but when he hurts you or kills everyone, then you will know I was right, and I tried to warn everyone about him!"

"HOW DARE YOU!" Hinata's voice rose but not to a level above the background hospital noise. Her voice dropped to a reasonable level but continued to voice her feelings. "You have no idea what he endured, and has seen over the years, he is a good and kind person!" Her fists clenched in anger, "Despite that treatment from people like you who always looked down on him, scolded and scoffed at him when he was a child, he still fought for you. He cared about his village enough to fight the horrors that threatened his life!" Her body shook with rage, and her knuckles turned white. She was so angry at the thought of people still looked at him as if he were a monster or nothing but a weapon to be used and locked away when it was not needed.

Hinata didn't care about her profanity and meant every word she spoke; she would kill the old crone if she treated her Naruto-kun badly or tried to hurt him. Her face was blood red, and her hands shook as she pushed past the old lady who was a bit surprised by the behavior of the prim and proper young woman from a very prominent clan. The lavender eyed woman didn't want to hear the crone's response – it didn't matter, no matter what she said it was wrong.

Once Hinata stepped through the doorway past the nurse, she slammed the door behind herself and pressed her back against it in an attempt to keep anyone from opening it, tears of anger and frustration began streaming down her face. She fell to her knees and covered her eyes and tried not to cry and to keep the negative energy out of the room. She wasn't regretful about what she said to the old woman; she was upset that some people still held old feelings and thoughts when it came to the young man, and the Biju contained within him.

After a few minutes of crying, the tears subsided, and her cries of anger turned to laughter, the realization of what she had done hit her like a ton of bricks. She just ripped a total stranger, a new ass-hole in public - at least by Hinata's standards. She had never been so rude or obstinate to anyone, even on missions or in the face of an enemy, she was always composed and polite, but this time was different, and she was done with being meek and polite. Collecting herself, she stood and smoothed the invisible wrinkles in her dress and walked over to check on Naruto.

The sheets appeared to have been changed, the IV-tubes were connected, but Hinata had a lingering feeling that something was wrong and wanted to be sure he had not been mistreated by the nurse. Pulling back the sheets a bit, she could see the hospital gown looked old, and stains with blood and fluids all over the front of the garment. The previously suppressed anger came raging back in full force, like a force of nature and the sight of the soiled hospital gown. Her first instinct was to find the nurse and strike her dead and hang her from the ceiling as a warning to all others who would mistreat her Naruto. But she held herself in check; she would deal with the old lady later, she could not let the mistreatment stand and had to act in his best interest. Searching through the cabinets, she found an extra sheet set and located a clean gown and pulled it out of the storage compartment.

Hinata turned to the hospital bed and looked upon her long-time love; she hesitated for only a moment and then proceeded with replacing his hospital gown. She would try to respect his privacy but also knew what had to be done and would try her best to protect his dignity as much as possible.

Her hands shook, and her heart pounded with excitement and, but she knew what she was doing was important. Her hand touched Naruto's left biceps and paused, enjoying the heat from his skin, his dark tanned skin complemented her pale porcelain skin. Lost in the moment, Hinata realized that this was the first time in all the years since they first met that she had never actually touched him. The only real exception being during the war when he held her hand to infuse chakra or the few times he caught her when she was unconscious.

She picked up his left arm, it was heavy, and she noticed the toned muscles under the skin and quickly pulled it through the gown, she disconnected and reconnected a few of the IV lines it was a simple enough process. Then moved the cloth material to his right-side exposing part of his broad and toned chest. She couldn't help sneaking an admiring peak at his peck's – firm, tight and solid. She felt her heart skip a beat and then raced hard in her chest. She knew she needed to focus on the task at hand, and wanted to finish before someone walked into the room and caught her in a compromising position, but she also wanted to admire his masculine physique.

Continuing her work, she moved his right arm gently trying not to disturb the bandages at the end of the limb, and she was able to get the soiled garment off of his body. It was apparent to her that the clothing had not been replaced recently, a few days at least. Hinata was going to speak to Sakura and Tsunade about this incident along with the nurse's attitude. It took all of her will-power and concentration to keep focused on placing a clean garment onto his body. Her inner-goddess kept trying to tempt her to look over his body, especially to peek and his masculine feature, but she stayed strong and didn't give into temptation. He was heavy and a bit difficult to maneuver, but after a few tense moments the job was done, and she hoped he would be more comfortable in a clean dressing.

She made a mental note to check that he had a clean hospital gown and if needed; she would replace it on every visit. Once she was satisfied with the garment swap and discarding the soiled linen into the proper receptacle, the young woman sat down, the anger only slightly ebbing. She was very angry with the woman for maltreating Naruto; it was intolerable, and unthinkable that a nurse would mistreat a patient so egregiously, to the point of not change his gown. _"Has she done this to all her patients or just Naruto?"_ The thought infuriated Hinata all over again, and she knew if the nurse showed up again, things would not end well for the other woman.

"The old bitch will be leaving in a body bag if she does that to you again." She said outload to her sleeping prince.

Deciding it was time for a quick snack before she had to leave, the sun was starting to set and much to her dismay she had duties to attend. Picking up the second Bento, she looked at its contents – there was no sense in wasting good food.

"Are you sure you don't want any, Naruto-kun? It's really good. Why don't you wake up and find out?" Unfortunately, silence was his response to her.

In a moment of frustration, she realized how much the events of the last hour affected her. Seeing the blonde hair boy whom she loved so profoundly treated poorly by some people, despite all he has done for everyone, hurt her deeply. "Please. Please wake up. I... I need you to be alright, that way I can be alright." Her heartfelt words resulted in a new set of tears falling onto the edge of the bed.

"If you are trying to rest and relax after all the years of hard work and training, then we can go away together for as long as you want. I want to be with you. I need you." She bit her lip trying to hold back her angst, but it didn't work, she moved closer to him. Her forehead touched the side of his right arm; her tears continued to fall down her face and onto his shoulder and chest.

How could she live her life?

How could everyone move forward?

Her mind reeled with the thought of nothing changing for either of them and, remain stuck in this painful moment. Hinata sobbed quietly; her tears soaked his arm and sheets, it didn't matter if he might have caught her crying. If he were to wake and see her crying, that would be perfectly fine, and they would be able to move forward together.

After a few minutes of crying, effectively cleansing some of the anger, frustration, and upset of the day, from her soul, Hinata composed herself and stood. Moving to the washroom, the young woman wiped away the dried tears from her face. The skin around her eyes was puffy, and her pale lavender eyes were tinted red, a sign she was crying. Hinata splashed some water on her pink cheeks, she straightened her long flowing hair and looked at herself in the mirror.

Hinata stared at herself and wondered what was going to happen next, the day was upsetting enough, and she didn't know how much more her heart or sanity could take before either or both shattered permanently. She moved out of the small washroom and took her place next to the bed once again. The young woman packed up the Bento boxes and placed them into the orange fabric sack, that was placed the rolling table. Taking one last look around to ensure everything is neat and tidy since the staff was not trustworthy to do so, everything was in order and ready for her departure. It was getting late, and she needed to leave soon otherwise, her father would order the whole clan to begin looking for her if she was out too late, plus she had things that required her attention. But she really wanted to stay with Naruto now more than ever to make sure he was taken care of properly.

Hinata returned to his right side and stood over the hospital bed gazing longingly at Naruto, her long mid-night blue hair fell over her shoulder - as if it was reaching out to him. She felt the need to shed tears for him again but held them in check for the moment. She would keep them until she got home, where she would be able to scream and cry into her pillow. She had done the same thing over the past few weeks.

"I have to leave. I'm sorry, but I have things to do still. I know you would understand and tell me to go and not worry about you." She smiled at the thought of him insisting she attend to what is needed.

"I promise I will make sure that mean old… bitch… doesn't mistreat you ever again," she couldn't believe the way she spoke. "Don't you worry, she has just made an enemy for life," Hinata spoke softly, but she also felt a bit of anger at the thought of the old nurse. "Old bitch," the princess spat.

"I enjoyed spending the day with you, but maybe next time you could join the conversation," she teased with a smile.

"Anyway…" Her focus shifted directly to his lips, and the conversation with Sakura surfaced once again. Her pulse raced causing her face to become flushed. Before she knew what was happening all logical thought left her and uninhibited instinct along with desire take over.

Hinata leaned down placed her lips against his without any second thought or hesitation like it was completely normal. She felt how warm Naruto's lips were against hers, they were soft yet firm. She sighed in delight against his mouth, she lingered for a few moments and pressed a bit more before pulling away. Her face was brightly flushed but stayed very close to his, and she looked at his closed eyes while waiting and hoping for a reaction. But she saw no response from the young man, she stole another kiss and lingered longer this time, and caressed his peck. After separating from his lips again and staying so close the tips of their noses barely touched. She watched him again but alas he remained the same.

"I love you, Naruto-kun. I hope you can hear me, and you can feel me with you." Her words whispered and meant for his ears only. She touched her nose against his and rubbed it back and forth for a moment and gave him a little giggle. Straightened up, Hinata glancing at the still closed door making sure no one had entered the room and witnessed her actions. "I will come to see you tomorrow, I have a few meetings to attend, and I have to check your apartment. I hope you don't mind. Is there anything you would like or need?" She asked but knew he would not answer her, but one can still hope.

After a few moments of watching him, she knew she needed to leave otherwise she would be up all night dealing with clan matter and would not be able to visit. Hinata walked over to the table and picked up the bundle of Bento and moved toward the door, she stopped and turned around with the hope that he would give her a sign of waking up. Taking in the whole room once more, she let a single tear run down her left cheek.

"Good night, my love," with those words she was out into the hallway. Peeking through the doorway, once again looking for him to move as she pulled the door closed. The mid-night haired maden briskly wiped her cheek to clear the moisture from her eyes and began walking down the hall, passing the nurses station. Much to her dismay the nurse who was at the top of her shit-list was sitting at the desk typing on a computer terminal. Hinata kept her eyes on the problem nurse as she walks past, letting some killing intent leak out to show her anger.

No sooner was Hinata past the nurses' station area, the old woman cleared her throat. "I hope you had a nice visit. I'm not sure why you someone like you would waste your time with that. Don't worry, I'll be here all night and will take _good_ care of him while you're gone," her voice cackling with disdain.

A shiver ran up Hinata's spine at hearing the nurse's words, she turned around looking at the nurse while standing near the elevator bank. She debated running back to the room and staying all night but knew it was not the answer. Despite the young Huyga's disdain for the old woman, she knew violence was not the answer and had to have faith that the universe would protect the blonde hero. Even if the thought of delivering the women to the afterlife might be satisfying, it would be equally wrong. So, she would ensure the old crone would receive the punishment that had been earned by neglecting of Naruto. In the end, Hinata decides to "kill her with kindness."

"Your service and efforts have been noted. I will make sure you receive a just reward. Please, have a good night and take care of MY Naruto-kun." Hinata spoke with a confident, and clear voice and while wearing a fake smile. "Kami help me, just take her out now," her inner-goddess screamed from behind her pale eyes. The goddess was ready to take charge and do what needs to be done, but Hinata's waking self-stayed strong and resisted the little chibi.

Before the crone could respond the elevator _DINGED_ and Hinata stepped on as if the universe was telling her to leave before, things got out of hand. Not a moment after the elevator doors closed the old lady was still glaring at the spot where Hinata stood, "little bitch. I don't give a shit who your family is. That demon bastard is mine tonight." The crone's words were quite but said aloud to the point if others were present they would hear clearly.

With every step away from the hospital Hinata's mind raced faster with concern and worried more and more about the blonde stuck overnight at the hands of the old crone. She stopped a few times during her journey and seriously considered sneaking back into his room but decided it would cause more trouble for both of them. She had to have faith that the universe would protect him for the night. With her mind wandering and filled with worry and uncertainty, she failed to notice the gates Hyūga compound. Without even acknowledging the pair of guards who stood watch, Hinata walked past the two men. They were surprised by the heiress, who would always take the time to acknowledge of the guards, who enjoyed her pleasant demeanor, but tonight she did not even give them a glance, a smile or a nod - nothing. She just walked past the pair, eyes glued to the ground before her feet and proceeded to the main house. The pair of guards looked at each other, raising a curious eyebrow as to the uncharacteristic behavior of the clan heiress.

A couple of minutes later, Hinata arrived at the door of her bedroom, it was her refuge from the world, she entered and locked the room, she applied a privacy seal. After which her shoulders slumped, and she threw herself onto the bed face first, and finally let go of all her emotional barriers. The walls fell, and a flood of tears erupted from her eyes along with an unrestricted scream expressing everything held in through the day. She kicked her feet and punched the bed in a fit a frustration, rage, sadness, and anger, it was the physical manifestation of the day's events. If anyone walked into the room at that moment, they would probably think she was acting like a 5-year-old throwing a tantrum.

After what felt like forever, while in reality, only about 45 minutes had passed, she found her emotional cup was now nearly empty and nearly manageable. Her face rested in a wet puddle of tears, snot, and saliva – not an appealing combination by any means but at the moment she didn't care. Hinata looked down at the sheets and laughed at herself and at the mess she had made. Deciding they needed to go, but not caring enough to replace the linens for the moment. The young woman rolled off of the bed, moved slowly to the dressing table, sat down in front of the large mirror with a heavy thud and huff. Her pale skin was blotchy and red, dark circles had formed around her bloodshot eyes; she looked a "hot mess," as Ino would say, and if anyone looked at her would be able to see she had been crying profusely.

"You have looked better, haven't you?" She spoke to her self rhetorically.

She tried to give herself a smile hoping to cheer herself up a bit, but she couldn't muster the energy. Picking up her late mother's hairbrush; she began running it through her long thick locks and found the action was soothing to her frayed nerves. She focused on all of the positive things that happened and hands down, being asked to take care of Naruto's apartment had been the highlight of the whole day. It was something she would have never guessed was going to happen and she was not going to let the opportunity slip through her fingers. She, Hyūga Hinata was the chosen one for such an honor, the whole thing made her feel giddy with all of the potential options. She also had to make sure he was taken care of properly in the hospital while balancing clan meetings, training, and missions with her team. Her list was growing exponentially; however, it was all important to her, especially Naruto's apartment.

 _"I might have to start writing everything down or hire someone to keep track of it all,"_ the young heiress mussed to herself jokingly.

Her mind shifted to the idea of having an assistant. Naruto popped into her mind instantly as her new assistant. "I think I can find a position or two for him," she said to herself. Followed by a conjured image of the young blonde in a formal business outfit, his hair combed neatly, with a pair of glasses, while carrying a notebook and schedule ledger and following her everywhere. She giggled with delight at the image that formed in her mind; they could be together all of the time, sharing their lives with one another for all times - a dream come true.

The looking glass showed her a young woman with long midnight blue hair and slightly bloodshot eyes, but the woman reflecting back also wore a devious smile. She was happy, despite the nurse being a horrible person, it was a great day, and the best part was spending it with him. She was able to talk to him without a single stutter, and she was even able to say the three magical words to him without being in a life or death situation. But the icing that topped the preverbal cake was their kiss, it might have been one-sided and stolen, but she was bold enough to do it, and the feeling was wonderful and exciting. She would always remember that kiss – her first kiss with the man she loves over all others. She watched the cheeks of the woman looking back from the mirror, they were now bright red as she cupped them with her hands, squealing in delight like a school-girl.

Hinata stood up from her dressing table and moved to her private washroom starting the shower to warm it up a few minutes. The restroom was large and spacious to the point that three people would have no issues moving around. Porcelain tile with medium brown woodgrain pattern covered the floor and traveled up the wall roughly 20cm where it ended at a white trim that was carried around the room a light gray paint on the walls. The shower stall consisted of opaque glass on three sides with a pair of chrome shower heads affixed to the ceiling to provide a rainfall effect. Her bedroom may be her refuge from the world, but her shower was a sanctuary.

After removing her dress and undergarments, she looked over her bare body in the floor-to-ceiling mirror, she cupped her large ample breasts and inspected them. The erect nipples stood prominently and were surrounded by the coral color of the nearly perfectly round areola that stood out against the snow-white skin of her breasts. They defied gravity, and a bra was not needed, but modesty demanded one otherwise. Her pale flawless skin was consistent without blemish or discoloration from her toes to her nose, with the only exception being a scare under her left breast. A mirror of the scare was ever present on her back where Pain's chakra rod impaled her a few years back it was her reward for defending her golden knight. She was given an option to have the scars removed, but she wanted to keep them as a reminder of that fateful day, and the blemishes represented a bond they both would share for the rest of their lives. Despite being injured and being thrown around like a ragdoll; she was strong enough to tell him her heartfelt feeling and spoke the words of love to him. She was also able to back up her word with action during her fight with Pain and Naruto respected action over words.

"You can do that again, Hinata," she whispered to her reflection while holding her gaze with a little smile. "You proved it back then and again today, do it for him. Do it for yourself. Show him that you can make him happy and give him the love he has never known."

After her little self-pep-talk, the young woman stepped into the steamed-up shower, the water flowed over every patch of skin and hair. Picking up a bottle of shampoo, the young madden worked it into a frothy lather, with the excess running down her back and firm buttock. Hinata's midnight blue mane took time to wash and rinse properly, but it had been part of her ritual for so long any deviation felt odd, and she would start again. Turning around and picking up luffa with body wash, the porcelain-skinned beauty washed and worked up another fierce lather from head to toe. After rinsing off all the soap and shampoo, her skin glowed with smooth slipperiness and wetness of the soap and water.

Pushing the remains of the lather off of her body, her hands paused a moment and with an index finger rubbed the pink peaks that sat atop of her large breasts and sending a charge through her body. She had no problem with self-exploration and was more than ready to release all of the pent-up frustration that was well overdue to be released. Pinching her nipples with her index and thumb and allowing a small moan to escape her lips. Her inner Goddess mewing in happiness as Hinata's conscious mind conjured images of the blond-haired boy massaging her breasts. Hinata's back fall against the glass wall, her ass pressing into the opaque surface, giving a perfect view if someone walked in at that moment. She moved her right hand from her breast over her toned and solid stomach, and without hesitation, her hand continued arriving at her aching womanhood. The index finger moved into her sacred valley, creating a sexual charge that was amplified when she pinched her left nipple harder when she pressed the clitoris.

Hinata began working her finger over the engorged clitoris, building a rhythm rapidly as she continues picturing a certain blue-eyed boy touching and kissing her all over. His manhood moved between her firm ass cheeks as he felt her most intimate areas, placing kisses down her neck and nibbling her ear.

Hinata kept building up the images in her mind, and her inner-chibi relished in the erotic show that was unfolding.

 _He forcefully turned her around to face him and claimed her lips their tongues intertwining as he moves her to the opposite side of the shower stall. He broke their kiss and squatted down, reaching around each of her thighs, and lifting her upward while supported her in the crook of his arms with her back on the glass._

Fingers rubbed and pressed hard on the bundle of nerves while the hot slippery water flowed over every part of her body, every movement of her finger sent her pulse higher as waves of pleasure push her closer to her climax.

 _Placing the tip of his throbbing member against her sacred entrance, lowing her slowly, stretching her to fit him._

Her knees buckled, and she slid down the shower stall glass to sit on the built-in shower seat, spreading her knees further to give herself more access. Her toes curled as she began a wild rhythm, touching her entrance periodically while nibbling her lower lip in an attempt to keep her moans and gasps stifled.

 _He pumps her rapidly._

Her finger keeping up with her imaginary partner _._

 _Their mouths were open as their tongues fought for dominance, but she was happy to let him win._

Her peak was getting closer as she continued stimulating of her body in all of the ever increasingly sensitive areas.

 _He pushed deep into her and finally released his essence deep into her body, ribbons of_ imaginary _cum flow into her body._

Hinata recalled the memory of her lips touching Naruto's, a few hours ago, and with that memory, it took her orgasm to an entirely new level, as it crashed over her body. The shower stall rattled as she screamed at the top of her lungs, "FUCK… OHH FUCK, I FUCKING NEED YOU… NARUTO. KAMI, I FUCking need you, baby..." Her voice dropped slightly and faded into rapidly shallow panting.

The hot water was still washing over her body and mixed with her feminine fluids that were flowing out of her core onto the stone seat the down the shower drain. She tried to compose herself and gather her thoughts. The memory of their lips touching and the electric jolts that occurred as the catalyst to a new level of orgasm – never before experienced. She hoped that her privacy seals worked, and her words stayed within the shower stall or at least the bathroom itself.

Hinata's mind was still processing the intensity of her climax and found getting to her feet as a bit of a challenge as her knees felt like jelly. After a few moments she stood with a hand of the wall allowing the water to wash off any remaining soap, and shampoo from her body and hair, however, she could still feel her fluids flowing down her inner thigh and had no intention of stopping anytime soon.

After shutting off the water, Hinata stepped out of the shower and stood nude to the world within the four walls of the washroom. She looked at herself through the fog of the room, thick ribbons of steam flowed from her slightly pink skin. Then she met the eyes of the woman standing before her in the mirror and notice that somehow, she was different from the young woman who stood in front of the same mirror previously. The new woman looked confident, proud and strong, a woman that would be able to get her blue-eyed crush to be all hers and she would be damned if anyone was going to stop her.

"I am going to wake him up and walk by his side for all times," she said to the woman standing in the mirror. Her voice was confident and sure, but after a few moments of staring herself down, her mature demeanor cracked, and giggling took over as she started hopping around like a little girl.

The washroom door opened, and a thick fog flowed out past the doorway, the new Hinata walked out with her head held high and sure of herself with confidence. She walked out completely nude, something her old self would have never done. She sauntered over to her dressing table, looking at herself again, to make sure the same person was looking back. A small part of her felt like it might have been a fluke or endorphins from her orgasm a short time ago, but thankfully the same woman was sitting there looking back at her.

Hinata sat at her dressing table once again as part of her nightly ritual of lotions and brushing her hair once more before bed. "I need to get some sleep, it's going to be a long day, and there is so much to do," she spoke to her inner-goddess. She tried to periodically converse with her inner-self since it was part of herself. While thinking through her mental to-do list while walking to the large wardrobe for some clothes. As she opened the drawer full of intimate wear, all styles, colors, materials lay before her, but nothing stood out at her as appealing. After a few more moments, her mind came to a conclusion.

 _"I'll just sleep nude,"_ a devious smirk pulled her lips into an impish smile. The idea of sleeping nude was something she always wanted to do but was too afraid someone would walk into the room, or something would happen, and she would run out bare to the world for all to see. Tonight, was different – she was different, and she didn't care about what might happen.

"Maybe if I think about him really hard and he finds out I am naked, he would wake up and ravish me." The spoken words rang through to her inner-goddess who bounced off the mental walls in a fit of erotic excitement. The chibi stripped off her clothes and hopped onto a bed and started generating erotic imagery again for them both to enjoy.

Glancing at the bed, she saw the dried stain was where she had been crying; her old-self would have dressed completely and taken the time to change all the sheets before considering turning in for the night. But now she just doesn't care, and she could feel the events of the day and that orgasm catching up to her energy reserves.

Sliding into the sheets, the spot wasn't damp or noticeable and she was happy that she didn't waste time changing them. Resting and settling down physically, she found all things mental were running on overdrive. Forcing herself to calm down and within a few minutes of imagining what the interior of her crush's apartment would hold was enough to slide her to the dreaming world.

/ End chapter 1 \\\\\

I hope everyone enjoys this piece, please read and review. As painful as it is to say, I don't know how often I will update this story. Right now, I am revising chapter 2, but like many, I know how painful it can be to get invested in a story just to have it not progress. I am going to do my best to update but it might not be fast or frequently.


	2. The Apartment

**Happy New Years Everyone. I have to say that within the first 2 weeks of posting chapter 1, there were over 1,000 views and a decent number of follows & favorites. I know this is not at the level of others authors but for me, it's not bad. ****I want to give credit and thank Darkwing83 and CaptainPanduh for helping me with revision and feedback. Darkwing originally wrote the Omake, after I wasn't sure how to end the chapter and we came up with a few alternatives.**

 **Well, on with the show.**

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters just borrowing them.

Chapter 2: The Apartment

* * *

The morning sun broke low over the horizon, bathing all it touched with warmth, signaling all things to awake for the day. The rays broke through the cream-colored curtains and faintly illuminated the blonde locks of the sleeping hero. Slowly the sun rose in its assentation through the sky, its light moving down the young man's face — first his forehead, and within minutes his eyebrows, then his eyes.

Suddenly, the man's eyes begin to wriggle, the eyebrows contorting together, lifting his right arm in an attempt to block out the light. But something felt amiss when the light persisted to his eyes. A grunt of annoyance persisted – "uggghhh... Let me sleep a few more minutes." The man growled out. Moving his left hand, he finally succeeded in blocking out the offending morning light, but then he noticed the feeling of something attached to his arm. Persistent and slightly annoying 'beeping' sounds finally made it into his ear; being familiar with both of these sensations he was able to deduce his current location quickly.

"Really? I'm in the damn hospital again?! Just what I need." He groaned, still not having opened his eyes. His mind was still foggy about what happened and how he got in the current situation. He recalled fighting Sasuke in the Final Valley, and after the fight being very tired along with having a conversation with his raven-haired friend. Everything else was a blur or missing.

Speaking of missing, his right arm felt odd and was hurting profoundly with a pulsing ache. Reaching out with his right hand to grab hold of the bed rail, he felt his fingers touch the plastic and metal structure of the bed-rail, or so he thought. He attempted to pull himself up and fell right back to the bed.

His eyes flew open trying to comprehend what had happened, pulling his right arm in front of him. The man immediately looked upon the white bandage – stained with blood and fluid, but nothing follows the dressing, not forearm nor hand. He looks upon the whole situation as a wave of disbelief strikes, followed by panic, and then shock. He was breathing rapidly, and the machine that was monitoring his heart rate emitting an almost steady tone due to the rapid succession of beeps.

"W-W-What…. What the…" his only words in almost two months are cut off as his mind and body both return him to the dream world. A moment later, a wave of people floods the room in a panic state. Naruto's rapid heart rate caused alarms to go off at the nurses' station and induced panic among most of the staff; the old crone just sat waiting for her shift to end. Doctors poured over the machines and readouts as nurses checked the blue-eyed boy's vital stats.

"Call for Tsunade; we need her input." One of the doctors barked to the staff.

/****\

Sunlight washed over the sleeping form of the eldest Hyūga daughter of the main family. She had not bothered to set the alarm as part of the new Hinata. The maiden's brows furrowed together, and her lidded eyes quivered with the ever-increasing ambulant light. Inhaling deeply with a bit of a squeal on her exhale, the first thought of the day on the task of visiting a certain someone's home. Clapping her hands together in an attempt to expel a bit of restless energy, she sat up quickly. Throwing the sheets off of her nude form, she paused a moment, looking upon her bare breasts and remembering the events of the evening before – along with her shower time fun. It was a new day, and a new Hinata was going to take what she wanted and what was hers.

Hinata departed the washroom; her nude form strutted through the room; her skin glowed, and she couldn't help but notice a bit a spring in her step – causing her hips to sway a little bit more. Walking to her dresser, she opened the same drawer as the night before and picked out a matching blue and pink watercolor-swirl-patterned silky lace bra and panty combination. A set that she had not worn before and was saving for a special day, and if all goes well today would be special. Giggling and squealing with excitement along with a lot of pent-up energy, she tried to get dressed, but it took a bit longer than expected.

Moving in front of the looking glass, she could see the bra had pressed her large breasts together and held them tightly while not being suffocating or uncomfortable. She would not want to wear it during a mission or sparing session. Wearing something so fancy and impractical for active duty, but today she had a very different task planned. The panties were defiantly mission gear worthy, considering they were a soft lace that covered her most intimate area and transitioning into high hipline that included most of her ample buttocks. Both pieces were dark purple that contrasted against her pale skin with an orange embroidering over the bra cups. Hinata stared at herself, taking in her appearance in the ensemble, "I bet he would go back into a comma if he saw me." She started laughing at herself and posing in various sexy forms, it was something she would have never done, but now she would give him a show without hesitation. Especially if it helped him to wake up from his slumber, the thought gave her an idea as her face turned red with another burst of excitement.

Everything was organized and meticulously placed within her large walk-in closet, the young woman selected a light blue sleeveless style top and a matching dress both made with light, airy materials. The dress sported an embroidered floral pattern on all sides. To finish the ensemble was a lightweight pale cardigan. Stepping in front of another floor-to-ceiling looking glass, she admired her outfit. As much as she loved it, something was slightly off - the bra straps were visible. She may be the new Hinata, but she is still modest and walking around with her underwear hanging out would not be acceptable. After debating and thinking about her choices, she settled on the only logical one - just ditch the bra. She hated to break up the underwear set, but it looked so much better and being naughty brought about a thrill that she had never known.

Double-checking herself one last time in the looking glass to make sure that the loss of the undergarment should not bring too much unwanted attention; fortunately, the material of her top was solid and formfitting but not revealing, with the exception of her mid-rift that showed off her toned stomach but only slightly.

 _"Maybe this look will get him up."_ Her next little mischievous thought ran through her mind, while she slipped on a pair of brown sandals on her way out of the house. Without stopping to speak with anyone or even have breakfast, the young Hyūga set off toward the Hokage tower for her assignment.

The sixth Hokage, Hatake Kakashi, sat at his desk pouring over the seemingly endless pile of paperwork, wondering how his predecessors ever dealt with it regularly – especially Tsunade. The silver-haired leader pondered momentarily about with how the papers appeared to reproduce during the night. He chuckled at himself over the absurdity of a wild 'paper orgy' on his desk.

Sighing out loud and reluctantly reaching for a page, staring at the piles won't make it disappear any faster, so he pressed on with the task at hand. Starting with the status reports from the various sections and departments submitted over the last 24 hours. Reading a report from the Intelligence division, showed nothing extraordinary, just a recap of information and facts already known. Since his former "outlaw" student was still in treatment, it effectively put all interrogation efforts on hold. This _minor_ detail had Ibiki chomping at the proverbial bit.

The soft rap of a knock upon the red double office doors drew his attention off of the mundane reports. The leader's eyes rose to look upon the source of the noise. "Come on in," he lowered the papers and waited for the doors to open.

The door opened with the Hyūga heiress stepped through the threshold, her aura was radiant and full of life, she was the type of person to brighten any place she entered. When the Hokage's eyes landed on the young woman, his lip pulled up behind his mask. " _Well I had a hunch she would show up this early_ ," he thought, it was not a village secret the woman had a crush on a specific blue-eyed former student and current village hero, ever since way back in their academy days. The young woman stepped into the room and stood before the large desk with a small smile and a happy look in her eyes. She gave a slight bow to Kakashi. "Good morning Hokage-sama, how are you today?"

Sighting, he still has not become accustom to the _Sama_ suffix when people addressed him. "Hinata, please forget the formalities, you kids have done more than I ever did." Waving a dismissive hand.

Hinata looked upon the scar-faced man, unsure of how to respond to his request, it would be highly disrespectful to honor his request but would be impolite not to honor it. Kakashi could see the young woman struggling with his comment and decided to relieve her of the plight.

"I'd be better if this paperwork would become someone else's problem, but it seems that he is just lying about in the hospital all day long." The young woman's eyes met Kakashi's and sparkled with the notion of her golden knight; her cheeks turned pink nearly instantly as the memory of their kiss burst forth in her mind. The Hokage's smile was covered by his trademark mask and his folded his fingers as he leaned back in the oversized red leather chair. He gestured toward one of the chairs in front of the desk, that bordered on Brobdingnagian, but it was ancient and a staple of the office. "Please have a seat Hinata. We have a few things to discuss."

Politely she took the chair directly in front of Kakashi and folded her hands atop of her lap, waiting for the man to continue.

"Well now, I am sure you already know why I asked you to come here. Naruto is currently incapacitated, and unfortunately, Tsunade and Sakura are unsure when he will wake up or how to treat him further, to be honest, they don't want to try and push things." He tensed a bit. "There is also the possibility that he might never wake up. Chakra depletion as you know can cause serious and often permanent damage that is nearly impossible to predict."

He knew his words would cause her to worry and become more upset, but he also knew she was strong enough to appreciate the reality of the situation, while never giving up on him.

"But if I know my former student, being the number one unpredictable knucklehead, he won't stay down for much longer – honestly I am surprised he's been out this long."

Hinata shifted under his gaze, "I am worried about the same things, but I am sure he will return to me..." Realizing her slip she stammered back to correct herself, "I mean u-us- US," the stammering young woman finally managed to say.

 _"DAMN it,"_ she chastised herself. Not only had she made her statement sound selfish but now she's stammering – that was the old Hinata.

Managing to compose herself and recover from her faux pas, "I will do whatever I can to help, what is it you need me to do?" Her determination flared within her eyes as they opened a bit wider with impatience.

"Alright, well I need you to keep an eye on his place, and I know you can be trusted and will do what is needed to make sure everything is alright." He spoke with a slight smirk. His words made her stomach flutter with excitement and happiness.

 _"It's true – I can't believe it_." She giggled and happily smiled internally. While her inner-chibi bounced off the walls with excitement, on the outside the heiress kept her composure, except for her cheeks, that flushed bring pink once again, giving her away to their observant former Sensei.

"I will do my best Hokage-s…," catching herself. "Kakashi-sensei," it was a happy middle ground. "I would be honored to help out the hero of Konaha." The young woman was hoping not to appear over-enthusiastic, but she also didn't want to look disinterested or inconvenienced either.

Waving his hand toward her, "I know you will do your best, you always have, and that is one of the many reasons that I selected you for this assignment. Also, since it is an assignment, you will also be paid and assigned to this task exclusively for the next few weeks at least." He knew this would seal the deal, not that she cared about the money but not having to go out on missions would be the preverbal cherry atop the cake. Or in Hinata's case, the nuts on top of the cinnamon roll.

The two Shinobi sat and enjoyed a few minutes of conversation since they were so busy with their respective duties and it was nice to have a casual conversation. Especially for the sixth, he never just got to sit and talk, even when it comes to the youngsters he had watched grow up over the years. It felt like the only time he would see his former students was only to hand out missions or to receive post-mission reports. So, having this opportunity was a genuine treat for the silver-haired man.

After about 15 minutes of small talk and casual conversation, Captain Yamato Tenzon entered the office with a few documents that required Kakashi's attention and signature. Hinata was able to read the room, and it was time for her to leave and start her new mission. The excitement had been building while she was talking with Naruto's former sensei and now the time had come for her to leave. Her mind was foggy as she stood and gave a polite bow to the village leader. "I really enjoyed our talk Kakashi-sensei, I hope we can do this again."

Yamato raised an eyebrow at the young woman and smiled at her casualness toward the Hokage. It felt refreshing to hear it from the young heiress but was unexpected.

"Excuse me, Captain Yamato, I hope you are doing well," she spoke politely to the other man pausing a moment in front of him.

The man gave Hinata a happy smile and said, "I am well. I am sorry we can't chat a bit to catch up. You know how it is – Missions… Sleep… Missions… Paperwork…" He spoke as he waved the papers in his right hand.

Hinata gave a little giggle to the man. "I can certainly understand, the Hyūga are notorious for paperwork and the documentation of all things." She spoke, facing the man with a shy smile while turning to leave. "If you will both excuse me, I am going to begin my new mission and have much to do."

Both men watched the young woman who appeared lost in her thoughts, they knew what or more specifically who was causing the bluenette to be distracted.

"Umm, Hinata…" A voice called, causing the woman to stop dead in her tracks. Her hand was just shy of the doorknob. Turning on her heel, "yes, Hokage-sam... Kakashi-sensei?"

Kakashi sighed slightly, leaning forward with his elbows on the desk and a pair of keys hanging off the end of his right index finger. The pair of keys gave a slight jingled as he moved. "I don't suppose you want the keys?"

 _"Keys? Keys for what?"_ Her mind was drawing a blank as to what he was talking about, and her face showed a bit uncertainty.

The two men chuckled at her expense, causing her to blush nearly instantly.

"Apartment… Assignment…. Blonde?" Kakashi said with a mild amount of amusement.

The words didn't make sense initially and took a moment before they all pushed through the fog, and everything clicked. At the moment of realization, Hinata also caught sight of a silver-colored object rapidly moving through the air in her direction.

Acting on instinct, Hinata spun on her left heel and grabbed the object out of the air with her right hand; she did not make a sound. She demonstrated that her reflexes and abilities were ever ready, without her family's Byakugan.

Both men smiled at the young woman, knowing she was still in her prime and was a dangerous force in the Shinobi world. Hinata looked at both of them standing up from a bow with a small smirk, as if to say, _"yeah I'm still that good."_ They watched as she exited the office.

Yamato turned to the Hokage, "that boy is in for a world of trouble if he doesn't listen to her, Sempai." Giving a light chuckle.

"Well let's hope he's grown up a bit in recent years. Otherwise, he is going to making some extra trips to the hospital." The village leader gave a bit of a chuckle at the thought of his former student having the young woman watching over him – officially.

Both men smiled fondly at the closed door before turning their attention back to the reports and documents brought in by Yamato.

/****\

Hinata walked out of the large tower, the keys to her beloved's apartment held firmly in her hand, the shortest path to her destination already plotted out in her mind before she left the building. Turning to look to the sky as a light breeze brushes her smooth skin and moves a few strands of her dark hair out of place. The warm autumn sun was kissing her face as she walked down the street. She showed an air of calm, but under the surface, her mind was trying to focus, but it ran wild with the idea of being in his apartment. Cleaning and straightening up, making sure everything was secured, the idea of being so close to him even if he was not physically present, was exciting.

The image of her working in the kitchen, the stove firing while she prepares a meal.

 _He walked through the front door after a long day in the office. "Honey I'm home," he calls out to her, and she would greet him with a smile and a kiss – a long and loving embrace. They would then sit and eat the meal she prepared. Then they would sit together and snuggle on the couch, enjoying each other's company – they would talk about their day or sit quietly. At night they would climb into bed together – Hinata snuggling up against his broad chest while being enveloped into a tight embrace. They kiss, and he would show how much she means to him when they make love. Eventually falling asleep holding onto each other as if their lives depended on their connection._

She started feeling that the imagined images were memories and they made love almost every night and that she needed to start preparing dinner for them since he would be coming home in a few hours. However, reality crashed into her along with the poor chibi goddess who fell on the floor burst into tears. They both felt crestfallen at how much work and was still ahead to make the dreams and fantasies real.

 _"You are getting ahead of yourself,"_ she chastised herself silently. _"First Naruto has to wake up, and I have to work to become his friend before we can be lovers."_ The word "lovers" resounded in her mind as the excitement slowly replaced the dark reality that had started clouding her mind. It was a vicious back and forth cycle between what is and what could be. Turning to her determination along the desire to make him see her as more than just a fellow Shinobi, the young woman forged ahead. Without paying attention to her surroundings, her feet stood at the bottom of the staircase leading up to Naruto's apartment. Now, only a flight of stairs separates her from the start of something that would hopefully end up being the beginning of something very special – not just for her but him as well.

So why can't she take the first step?

The bluenette looked at the faded, weathered wooden steps, and their dull green color from years of repeated use. Hinata's ample chest became tight with anxiety and hesitation, her doubt taking hold, as a breeze picks up a few strands of her silky hair. Having faced down enemies and threats to her life – hell fighting in the Fourth Great Shinobi war only a few months ago, but this was one of the terrifying things she has ever faced.

 _"Move."_

 _Thump_ … _Thump_. Hinata's heart pounded in her ears

 _"MOVE – DAMN IT!"_ She screamed at herself.

 _THUMP… THUMP._

The sound of her heart continued to pound in her head at a near-deafening level. The feeling of drowning was overwhelming as the young woman tried to draw a deep breath, the pounding in her head but it also felt light at the stair-well that seemed to stretch infinitely.

 _"Kakashi-sensei is counting on me. Naruto is counting on me. If I can't do this, then has all the years of struggling been for nothing?"_ She asks herself rhetorically.

Finally managing a deep breath and steeling her nerves without a second thought, she moves her left foot onto the first step. "Even the longest journey, starts with the first step," she repeated to her herself as she began ascending the steps. Her mind cleared when the green door of Naruto's apartment stood before her; she takes in its weathered and marred façade.

The wood told her what he had to face as a child, the villagers hounded him, broke into his apartment, and even beat him as a small child – he knew nothing but hatred and misery. He worked hard to change people and to make them all see him for the person she had always seen. Running her fingers over the marks that appeared to have been created using a blade of some kind, she was able to make out the words, "DEMON," "Evil" and "Child Killer." The words were still carved in the wood even though it looked like someone tried painting them over, but the layers of paint could not erase the words altogether.

Moving her right index finger over the wood toward the doorknob, a splinter of wood pierced her skin, it didn't hurt, but it was enough to draw a few drops of blood. A small amount remained on the door, bright red against the green pain. She brought her finger to her lips and sucked gently to seal and draw away the bit of blood.

He suffered terribly, sacrificed so much, fought for everything he ever earned in the world – the world that had turned their backs to him. In the end, he fought for the world, for the people who once hated, scorned and ignored him.

At that moment for some inexplicable reason, the memory of him taking hold of her hand during the war when he needed strength came to mind while she stared at the word "DEMON." The feeling of their chakra meeting and mixing was something that she could not describe except for incredible, but that would not be an accurate description. Her mind started to drift again, as she stood in the open-air hallway for all to see and speculate.

Quickly and almost mechanically, as if it was something, she had done thousands of time before, Hinata reached into a small pocket of her pants and drew out the pair of keys that she received a short time ago. Without a thought, she slipped them into each of the locks. If she thought about anything else, she would have stopped. But the click of the latch echoed in her ears, and her heart skipped a beat in surprise, excitement, and a bit of fear of the unknown. She twists the knob, pushing the wooden door open just enough to slip past the door frame and closed the door briskly. The wooden barrier to the world was now at her back as she leans against it. Its solid form was a symbol unwavering strength and warmth, lets her know it will keep the world out for her, just as it has done for him over the many years. Her are eyes shut tight, only now realizing she is also holding her breath. Inhaling deeply through her nose, she takes in the smells of the apartment for the very first time. Her mind was running on instinct, and right now her instinct wants to take in the smells of the place he has called home since childhood.

Her nostrils flair as she took in a deep and almost unending breath, the smells flood her Olfactory nerve, that attempts to identify everything observed.

 _Ramen – lots of it, past and present._

 _His musky natural scent – earth & sandalwood._

 _Flowers._

"Flowers?" She said out loud, questioning her nose. Taking another breath and yes, she could smell flowers and plants.

Opening her pale eyes to the room, it was dim thanks to the tattered curtains looked to have been hanging in the windows since he first arrived. The central focal point of the room was an empty green table with only two matching chairs placed opposite to one another. The green paint of the pieces looked to be the same shade as the door on the inside. There was a fine layer of dust on every flat surface, a sign no one had entered or cleaned anything in quite a long time. The room she stood was a small kitchen and dining area; her bedroom could easily hold the entire room with space to spare. Adorning the walls was a brown colored wainscoting capped with an exposed wood chair rail. The rest of the wall was a faded off-white paint color, and the floors were a dark brownish color that looked to have been clean many years ago.

Hinata could see one area of the chair rail that had more nicks, dents, and scrapes she deduced that Naruto most likely sat in the chair that faced the door and gave him a view of the archway leading int to the rest of the apartment. "He couldn't even feel safe sitting in his own home to eat a meal," she thought as her heart ached for him.

As she moved around the table, a few spots along the walls had dents and even two holes that were about the size of a child's fist, deep gouges in the wood materials around the room. It looked like he might have attempted to repair the damage, but those attempts were now long since abandoned, Hinata's keen eyes note all the suffering and things to be fixed.

The young woman continued taking in the whole room with all of her senses, the refrigerator to her immediate left hummed and occasionally sputtered or raddled. A small countertop, leading to an oven-stove combo, and an overhead cabinet hung to the far right of the room. A large potted plant sits next to the refrigerator, its large green leaves were wilting, and the edges were dried and brown – it has not tasted water in a quite a while. While studying the leafy plant, Hinata noticed a label on its faded blue ceramic pot but had to crouch down to read the dull writing. A child wrote it, the label identified it as a _'Colocasia esculent'_ plant, below what appeared to be its proper name was another line that indicated it was known as an _'Elephant ear plant.'_ It was unique and something she had never seen, while it was simple and plain, it was also cute. She made another mental note to water the plant and care for it when she visited, and based on her observations, and her visits would be frequent.

After circling the table, Hinata was standing near the door she had entered through a few minutes ago. She clicked the deadbolt to the lock position and placed the keys back into a pocket a slipped off her cardigan, putting it over the back of one of the chairs.

She turned her attention to the refrigerator then, noticing an unpleasant smell in that area when she walked past it. In the back of her mind, she knew the smell was the result of food spoilage and part of her dreaded what might await her behind the closed door. Placing a hand on the worn chrome handle she gives a tug, the mechanism reluctantly released, and the door swung open. As the door opens and the light illuminates the contents, unleashing a powerful force of in the form of a stench that permeated the room nearly instantly. What she had let out was even worse than what she thought it might be, the smell of 6-month-old milk, old instant Roman cups and a few other things that cannot be identified but have leaves and stalks growing out of take-out containers. The pungent smell of neglected food hit her like a hammer to the face as she only took a small whiff, her stomach turned from excited butterflies to a putrid swamp. She slammed the door closed quickly, covering her mouth and nose, it even burned her eyes, and she shut them tightly.

While blindly and clumsily rushing in the direction of the sink, she tried to suppress the urge to vomit. When the bluenette felt the countertop and opened her eyes, but the kitchen sink greeted her with a pile of dishes, cups and cooking pots that had been untouched for months. The soiled dishes appeared to have new forms of plant life growing out of them. The smells and sights were overwhelming; try as she might, her stomach rebelled and forced her to vomit into the sink – adding to the smells of the kitchen.

Retching a few times, as she kept her eyes shut tightly while small teardrops were forming in the corners, she breathed through her mouth to get air, hoping to keep the stench out.

"Holy shit…. I don't know if I can do this." She spoke to the empty room while trying to calm her stomach and move past the initial shock; it appeared her nose died or didn't want to acknowledge the rancid smells of the room.

Hinata slumped down to the floor, sitting on her heels, she pressed her forehead against the cabinet door. Taking a few more moments trying to relax a bit and push the smells aside, as a veteran of a war she had seen and smelled unpleasant things that went along with that title, but this was something completely unexpected. She felt a bit disappointed that he didn't keep his place clean and tidy, but that was an incorrect assumption. That thought made her feel a bit guilty since he endured some of the worse things that life or humanity could throw at him. On top of it all, he didn't have anyone to teach him the basics. So how could she hold him to a standard that he may never have known?

Plus, he had other things to deal with and was hardly home in the first place, and even when he was, nothing but emptiness and painfully lonely memories — the guilt of being so presumptuous, of everyone, she had watched him the most over the years and understood him in many ways. But being in the middle of everything, his personal life exposed, it was something completely unexpected.

 _"If Naruto-kun can endure and overcome, then so can I."_ She gained her composure and forced herself to disconnect from the unpleasantness, the same way she did in battle. Opening her pale lavender colored eyes and looking to the ceiling at first. She stood and forced herself to face the most disgusting sink she had ever encountered that was now adorned with her breakfast.

With a new sense of composure and the realization that taking care of Naruto's place was not going to be a fanciful dream, and it would require a lot of time and energy. She began adding to her mental checklist of things that were needed to get everything cleaned up: big black trash bags, gloves – lots of them, breathing masks and cleaning supplies of all types – again lots of them.

Finally, Hinata walked briskly to the archway that led to the rest of the apartment trying to get as far away from the kitchen as possible. _"Maybe I will leave out the balcony,"_ she thought, not wanting to face the kitchen for the rest of the day. She walked into a small narrow hallway that carried the same color pallet and materials as the kitchen. The walls were scuffed and dirty like they had never seen a scrub brush or cleaning rag. Cobwebs and dust bunnies were hiding in the corners at the top and bottom of the hall, the floors worn from repeated pacing and use. She stopped at two doors opposite to one another, one open, the other pulled closed. Sticking her head through the open doorway, she held her breath with the memory of the 'kitchen incident' fresh in her mind and prepared for something similar.

The room she peered into was tiny and mostly empty a table along the far wall holds a few more potted plants of various shapes, sizes, colors, and genus. Some were in bloom, out of bloom or didn't bloom, the one thing they all had in common was thirst.

"I hope he has a water pitcher somewhere other than the kitchen," speaking for nearly the first time out loud as if the plants will tell her where she might find their drinking glass. "Don't worry; I will make sure all of you get watered and taken care of along with your big brother in the other room." Her voice was sweet and kind, she had loved plants all of her life and never thought he would have a similar hobby. She always wondered what his hobbies were but assumed he might not have any beyond training, fighting, missions and carrying the yoke of burden. The butterflies resurrect a bit in her now empty stomach, but the thought of food was not appealing at the moment. The plants get more direct sunlight thanks to sitting in front of a window, but the drawn shade obscure some of the life-giving light. Hinata opens the curtains and the window to let in some fresh air, to hopefully push out the stale dusty air of the apartment. An immediate breeze pushes in to rustle the leaves and bring in new aromas from the outside; she needs to remember to close up before leaving otherwise the plants will freeze.

Moving across the hall to the opposite door, she assumed it to the washroom, opening the door she found her suspicion to be correct — an open shower in the far corner with a sink and commode in the other corners of the small room. Though there was tile throughout it looked like they only time they only got washed when he took a shower. There was a pile of clothes and soiled towels next to the door that had long since mildewed and was now mossy.

"I am making an executive decision, all of that is going in a trash bag. I'll buy Naruto-kun some new towels, plus these are old anyway." She declared to the room. A moment of realization hit her, she felt no hesitation and complete autonomy to make such decisions about another person's possessions, but it was obvious he needed help. Besides, it was her mission to take care of his place, and she would do precisely that, and there was no way he could to clean up with only one hand.

She brought her hand to her mouth, weakly gasping as she realized, "he won't be able to make shadow clones with just one hand." It was his signature – his trademark – one of his unique characteristics that were now out of his grasp.

The realization of his handicap didn't even occur in Hinata's mind, but now she realized even the basic mundane things that people use their hands to accomplish in their day to day lives was now going to be extremely difficult for the blonde. Washing, dressing, eating, carrying a bag of groceries – being a Shinobi. The last one frightened and upset her the most, was his career now over. Could he still be Hokage? – technically he was still the rank of Genin – just like any other child who graduated the academy even though those days were long ago. Hinata's stomach cringed and churned with upset and sorrow for the man whom she loved.

Her eyes started to tear with the idea that everything he fought so hard to accomplish could be out of his reach forever because he selflessly chased after the Uchiha for so many years. He blindly dedicated and risked his life for the raven-haired boy and the pink haired woman who were both his former teammates. Both of which are nowhere in sight when he needed help the most. Her fists clenched at the thought of people even now mistreating and taking Naruto's kind and caring nature for granted. Pushing the feelings of anger and disappointment to the side for the time, addressing and dealing with the issues of his former teammates could wait until he woke up.

Turning off the washroom light, that had been left on for who knows how long, the Hyūga beauty moved to the end of the hall where she could see a large sliding door that could only lead out to the balcony. That meant that Naruto's bedroom was a few steps away. Her steps increase slightly, and the happy butterflies erupt into a frenzy of activity. "I am going to be in Naruto-kun's bedroom. I can't believe it." She squealed to her inner-goddess – who was hyperactively bouncing off the walls of her mind. "I am going to see where he sleeps and where he gets dressed." The last words resound as images of his strong muscular, lean body appear, her inner-chibi started to drool over an imaginary partially clothed Naruto that appeared in the mind space. Before the inner-goddess could make him completely nude, Hinata pushes everything to the side for her evening shower.

Upon entering the last room of the apartment, Hinata immediately noticed the clothes thrown all over, some on the floor, on a chair, partly hanging out of the chest of drawers and some on the bed. His bed, the place he slept and dreamed, wasn't made and had likely never been made. The sheets were light blue but worn so thin that holes started to appear near the edges. To think he lived like that, she was trying to not to feel superior or belittling to the man she loved. No, she felt some pity toward him, shame that no one had been around to watch over him growing up, he didn't know how to keep a house or live on his own. Why would a young child have to know how to live on his own – he was a child. Orphan or not, someone should have watched out for him, no matter what his circumstance.

She had so many happy thoughts before she walked through the door with a bright outlook and the image of only having to straighten up a little bit and keep an eye on things. But the reality was now glaring her in the face – it slapped her for being such a foolish girl. She had been so naive and blind to think that after his childhood and early years that he would live like an average person. Had she become blind and presumptuous from her gilded cage in the Hyūga compound where members of the branch family tended to the housekeeping and household chores? Hinata would always make sure her personal space was clean, neat and orderly by her hand and would take care of her laundry or individual needs. Overall, other people mopped the floors, beat rugs, tended to household tasks, and she had never considered those little things as something he might not be equipped to handle. She felt ashamed of herself, with her new resolve and feeling of confidence.

The wind was effectively knocked out of her sails – she was now adrift in a sea of self-doubt. Naruto's personal life that he had hidden so well from everyone... Should she tell Kakashi that he should find someone else? But who would be willing to take on such a challenge? Would they be there for him to support and help him in the way he needed?

Hinata had never given up on Naruto and was not willing to abandon him when he needs someone to stand by him the most. He had helped her countless times, fought for her and been there to support and pusher her forward. She would not throw him to the wolves and let him suffer further, it would not be easy, but it was going to be much more difficult to wait until he got home. Plus, the poor plants needed someone to watch out for them also.

Hinata's face showed nothing but intense feelings ranging from sadness to anger to hopelessness as she sat on the edge of the bed, looking around the meager and sparseness of the room. Something caught her eye on one of the shelves to the far end of the room, it seemed familiar, but she could not place why. Standing and moving to the object, she found that it was one of her ointment jars, in fact, it was the one she had given to him at the qualifying round of the Chūnin exam. A thin layer of dust covered the lid of the container when she removed it from the shelf the vessel left a circle free of dust, making the wood grain stand out. Twisting the top, she assumed it to be full, and he had never gotten around to throw it away. But while Hinata was falling back into her old mindset of self-drought received a happy surprise.

"He used the whole thing," she said out loud as the sadness pushed away and her outlook brightened once again.

She now had another item added to her mental checklist – homemade ointment. If her list got any longer, she might have to start writing things down. "Maybe I should start making a list, it's getting harder to remember it all, and I don't think the ointment will be the last item."

His bedroom smelled just like him, his musk, his masculine scent with a hint of Ramen. Placing the empty jar back in its place on the shelf, she noticed the books of different shapes, sizes, and colors stacked around the room and on the nightstand. Some of them she can immediately discern as the writing of the blonde's late mentor, his novels are world famous. Even the prim and proper Hyūga princess was secretly a fan of the white-haired Sanin's risqué writings. It was her guilty pleasure, and the book helped her through many long lonely nights of yearning to be right where she was at the moment. The only difference was that she was all alone and still had her clothes on. The day had taken a few unexpected turns; however, there was a bright side. He noticed her and used something she had gifted to him years ago, along with their mutual appreciation for specific literary genre's.

She noticed a copy of Make-out Tactics laying near the night stand, she smiled and picked it up and noticed an inscription on the inside of the front cover.

 _Kid,_

 _I hope that one day you can appreciate this book and maybe find someone special to share it with._

 _-Jiraiya_

Hinata felt a little bit of guilt for intruding on something special between master and student, and she also felt sad that Naruto lost his master and didn't get to say goodbye. After a moment, she had a thought, "did Naruto-kun help to write the last book?" Her mind reeled with the idea.

"You need to wake up Naruto-kun. I have so many questions for you and some things to share with you," she giggled. As if speaking to him via his bedroom would make magically appear. She felt her face heat up rapidly, along with her core.

Her focus shifted to the bed again and wanting to take a flying leap into it, wrap herself up in his sheets and snuggle them. Her desire to immerse herself in the bed was nearly overwhelming, but without him being there it would not be as much fun. "I really need you to wake _-the hell-_ up Naruto-kun." She smirked with a devious look on her face as she continued to look at the bed.

Hinata decided that she needed to focus back on her mission and started picking up the clothes and placing them into sorted piles based their color, primarily lights and darks for washing. Speaking of which, she did not recall seeing a washing machine anywhere in the apartment. "How does he wash his clothes?" She thought to herself and added another line to her ever-mounting list of things-to-do. Completing the task of getting clothes sorted and ready for laundering, she looked at the two massive piles.

 _"Don't tell me he just buys new clothes when something gets dirty. That's so wasteful and expensive."_ She couldn't help but think that it was the only reasonable explanation.

The bluenette looked at the bed once again and decided that it needed to be stripped and have the sheets replaced, but they were far beyond washable, and the rubbish bin was the only option for them. The thought of stuffing a storage scroll with all the clothes that needed washing seemed to be very time consuming, plus it would raise suspicions with the other Hyūga clan members. Suddenly she recalled a sign at the bottom of the stairs leading up to his apartment that read, 'Tenant Facilities.' The idea of the apartment building sharing a laundry facility made sense, but why would he not use it. The idea that this could be another example of the gap in basic life skills appeared to fit, as sad as it was to consider.

With the ever-mounting To-Do List, a few things occurred to the young heiress. First, that there was a lot more to this mission then she initially thought, it was going to take a tremendous amount of time and effort to get things some level of acceptable. Finally, she was still so happy to be the one to do all of it for the man she loves so deeply. She would show him that he can rely on her to help him through these difficult times, she would cook for him and help him with his apartment, as well as help him with the necessary life needs.

"I could be like his wife." The words rolled off her tongue, echoing slightly in the near empty room, while her face heated up and another surge of excitement.

 _"I am going to need a long and hot shower tonight,"_ she thought as the inner-goddess started jumping up and down with giddy excitement.

Hinata spent a few more hours collecting and sorting clothes and towels that either fell into the "to-be-washed" category or thrown away. She still avoided the kitchen demons for the time, her stomach and nose were not ready to address anything in that area. She would need help, but she also wanted to be a bit selfish and keep it all to herself. These were times when the Shadow Clone Jutsu would be convenient and helpful but alas it was not something she could use at the moment.

A short time later Hinata finally finished sorting out all the laundry and wrote down a list of supplies that would be needed since there were very few available in the apartment. The alarm clock indicated twenty minutes afternoon; she has been in his apartment for almost five hours, and it only looked as if she made a small dent in her mental checklist that had grown into a short novel. Hinata had been moving around the bed and was fighting a losing battle of not laying down even in its current disheveled conditions.

Leaning over the bed on the one side she pulled the faded red comforter down to the bottom along with the gray top sheet and pulled them free, placing them in a pile to be discarded. All of the other bed linens were removed and put in the discard pile and left the mattress exposed springs and holes in the material. She sighed in disappointment and said, "every time I think I'm getting ahead, there's something else that appears."

But she kept her head and forced herself to focus on what had to be done and remembered that all the effort would pay off in the end. Naruto didn't seem to be waking up anytime soon either, so there was time to work on things over the coming weeks.

After clearing the bed lines a bit of bright red caught her eye between the mattress and headboard, it was a lone sock. Hinata could not reach it without climbing on to the bed, kneeling on the mattress and the rogue piece of footwear in hand. Her vantage point and perspective was completely different – she was in his bed. His scent was so concentrated to the point that if she didn't know better, she could have sworn he was right there in the bed with her. Sweet Kami she wanted him to be there with her, ravaging her, love her, be with her always. She laid face down into the bare pillow and pulled the second pillow up against her chest hugging it tightly, breathing through her nose, memorizing every fragrance. It was warm, comfortable and she felt free while also feeling safe as if nothing could disrupt her enjoyment. Her eyes started feeling heavy, and she felt her mind starting to drift off into the world of sleep – his bed and scent would hopefully influence her dreams for a long time to come.

 _"Hinata, thank you for waking me up. I missed you so much," a voice spoke gently. She felt a warm solid body against her back as a pair of powerful arms wrapped themselves around her waist. His breath struck her left ear, just before his lips touch her cheek as he holds her tightly. The hazy figured cupped her ample breasts with no hesitation, squeezing them tightly while kissing down her neck._

 _She gasped in surprise and moaned out his name when her nipples are pinch between his index and middle fingers while he kisses and nibbles at her neck._

 _His manhood, pressed against her backside, resting comfortably between her cheeks – its power, size, and girth sent her heart rate soaring as she tried to reach for it but found herself on all fours, wholly helpless and vulnerable to his most fervent desires._

 _"You're so beautiful, I could just look at you and stare at everything, but that wouldn't be much fun." He spoke in a low voice._

 _She knew he could see her most imitate places and shudders as his finger moved up the back of her right thigh, then made a straight shot towards her womanhood. Sliding his thumb over her clit and applies a bit of pressure, causing her to moan out loud. His hands took hold of her butt cheeks opening her more to his view and teasing her._

 _Even her dreams teased her, and she loves it, she loves being submissive to him, she would let him do anything to her. Moving over Hinata's body, his kisses meet the soft and smooth skin of her backside and occasionally bit each cheek, gently but firmly. She moaned and gasped with each little nibble of her sensitive skin._

 _She couldn't stop moaning his name with a long draw as he continues to plant kisses and runs his tongue over her skin but never touching any of the places, she needs him the most._

 _"Please…" she whispered. "Please, I need you. Please, I can't take this anymore." He seemed to ignore her pleas and continues to torment her until he makes contact with her clitoris again. The submissive woman groaned at the sudden touch, and then his finger began to massage the engorging bud of pleasure._

 _He held her left cheek with firm pressure, exposing her tiny asshole for his viewing pleasure._

 _Thoroughly embarrassed, humiliated but there was nothing she could do to stop, and she couldn't help but feel exhilarated by the way he was treating her. Then she feels his lips move closer before his tongue runs over the puckered entrance to her forbidden chamber. Moaning out as a new surprising sensation strikes her, as well as, her pulse. Being treated in such a way was so exciting, she felt how much he loved her and knew what she truly needed._

 _His thumb raced to apply pressure to her sensitive clit while his tongue pressed through the entrance it had previously been encircling. She couldn't believe her body craving such sensations or that she was enjoying the dream so much. She felt the familiar tightening in her stomach getting ever closer to her release – the release that would only bring her some relief but not total relief. Complete relief could only occur in the waking world when they were in his bed together._

 _She found him standing before her, his erect member pulsing with sexual power the likes she had never known or experienced. He took hold of long silky mid-night blue hair lifting her face to meet his, without hesitation their lips clash. His tongue assaults her mouth as he pulls firmly on her hair, breaking their kiss, they gaze deeply into each other's eyes. Love, lust, desire, passion all expressed without a word spoken between the two lovers._

 _Moving his hand to the back of her head, he pushes her face to meet his erection, only a few centimeters apart. She opens her mouth in hungry anticipation of accepting him._

 _"Tell me you need me, Hinata." He says to her._

 _"I need you. I need you to FUCK me, please. Please. Please."_

 _He smiles and his signature foxy grin. "Hinata."_

"Ohh, Naruto-kun."

"Hinata."

"Naruto-kun."

 _She feels hands beckon her forward, her lips parted._

 _"_ Hinata!"

"Just do what you want, Naruto-kun."

"Hinata, wake up!" Naruto's voice sounded much more famine and a few octaves higher. Hinata wasn't sure why but didn't care.

A hand grabbed her shoulders pushing her up and down, shaking her roughly. Her blonde lover faded way just as his enlarged member touched her protruding tongue. Hinata's mind transitioned back to the waking world suddenly, and her eyes flew open, as she sat up quickly and met a pair of eyes similar to her own.

"H-Hanabi," she shuddered, now humiliated that someone caught her sleeping in his bed. Not just anyone but her sister of all people. To top it off, the little shit was not likely going to let her live this down.

"Hinata, what the hell are you doing?" Her sister responds.

"I, I got assigned to check and watch out for Naruto-kun's apartment, and I was cleaning and straightening up for the last few hours." Hinata's words word were firing out at a rapid pace, "and I was going to leave but then I found a sock under the pillow. I got it but also wanted to… bed… and… and." Hinata's rambling words stopped as her sister started giggling.

The younger Hyūga couldn't help but laugh at her elder sister and trying to make sense of the rambling that had just been spoken would be impossible. Hanabi had an idea of what was happening in her elder sisters dream and that her sister loved the blonde hero – even before he was a hero.

After a pregnant pause, Hinata finally managed to compose herself and climb out of bed. Looking back at the spot she had been laying, she saw a wet spot on the pillow and felt a line of moisture on her right cheek. She tried to wipe her face surreptitiously and no so suddenly flipped the pillow over, but Hanabi had already spotted the stain of moisture and continued to laugh at Hinata's futile attempts at modesty.

"I saw you drooling." Hanabi giggled and grinned.

Hinata stood up straight as an arrow, would her humiliation never end, she only hoped that no one else happened to be around to witness the occurrences in Naruto's bedroom.

"How did you know I was here and for that matter, how did you get in here?"

"Well, I came to find you because our father has been looking for you all day." Hanabi state in a matter-of-fact tone with a hint of sass toward her older sister.

Hinata's blood ran cold, the heat she was feeling in her core instantly fades at the mention of her father. "Wha-what." The elder sibling cannot get the words out while looking at the digital clock that reed, a quarter of three.

"Damn it!" Hinata, instantly knew why Hiashi was looking for her, there was a clan council meeting scheduled for 2:30. A meeting that she was to attend as part of her training and familiarization with the position of Hyūga clan leader. Now her father would be furious, especially if he found out where Hinata has been most of the day and why she missed the meeting.

Hanabi, on the other hand, was not going to tell their father all of the details. Knowing it would be best if Hinata went to their father first and explained the situation. Even after all these years of missions and a war, Hyūga Hiashi could still terrify her eldest sister.

Hinata had been awakened from her very intense dream and couldn't enjoy the buzzing feeling in her stomach and maidenhood. The sensation was being replaced with a far less pleasant atmosphere and was rapidly dispelling her sexual excitement. However, the bluenette thought back to the fading memories that were so vivid a few minutes ago before losing them.

Employing Hanabi's assistance to close and lock-up the apartment the two young women depart via the terrace. Hinata recounted the kitchen problems, and they both agreed it would be the best way to leave for both of their sakes.

/****\

Minutes later after departing the apartment, Hinata realized she had not eaten and having vomited earlier; she was running on empty.

"I need to eat something before going back home, Hanabi."

"Alright, we are getting close to the restaurant district, so we can get something before facing the music with father." Hanabi joked at her older sister's predicament.

"That's not funny, Hanabi." Hinata scolded. But the younger girl was right; the situation was not going to play out well for the elder sister.

"We can go to Ichiraku's; it's his favorite place. Isn't it?" Hanabi stated. Causing Hinata to stop dead in her tracks – her cheeks heating up at the thought of the Blonde.

"You were dreaming about him. Weren't you?"

Hinata's face became blood red with embarrassment. _"What did I say while I was sleeping? Ohh, Kami kill me please, I can't take people finding out that I was sleeping in his bed. But then I was also having an erotic dream about him."_ Hinata panicked with uncertainty about how to address the situation.

Hanabi always enjoyed teasing her big sister, mostly because Hinata's reactions were funny, and the older woman could become flustered at the mere mention or hint of Naruto. With a Cheshire-cat grin, Hanabi turned to her sister, "Don't worry I'm not going to tell anyone you were having a sex dream about Naruto. He was probably asking you to do _things_ to him. His sensei was a big perv and he's probably one too." Hanabi's words were delivered in a mocking tone. "Next time you sleep in his bed you should make sure the doors are locked." The youth took off, knowing her sister would try to chase her down – but Hinata usually wasn't able to catch her.

Hinata had enough of her sisters teasing, especially with the situation at hand, and as much as she cares for her sister, enough was enough. The elder sister appeared in front of her little sister with the help of a body-flicker, catching the former in the stomach with a Chakra charge fist. The hit was not meant to do any premiant damage but to let the young girl know that she had crossed a line.

The young girl gave a small yelp of pain and surprise before falling to the ground while looking up at her sister.

"Now you listen to me," Hinata's face was red with anger. "I don't need your little jokes and comments, I am on a mission for the Hokage, and I am also really worried about Naruto-kun. On top of that now I have our father, who's going to be furious about my absence earlier today." The bluenette's face contorted with fury and Hanabi was the proverbial last straw. "Now, damn it Hanabi, if you are not going to help, then go find something else to FUCKING do!" The two Hyūga's have now attracted an audience as Hinata looks around at the small but growing crowd.

The usually quiet, polite and composed eldest daughter of the Hyūga clan had taken her younger sister out in the middle of the street and started cursing at the girl. Now Hinata was a public spectacle, and to top things off, the incident would likely get back to her father quickly. " _Well in for a penny, in for a pound_ ," Hinata mentally recalled the phrase from a book she read.

Feeling eyes upon her, Hinata lashed out, "CAN I HELP YOU PEOPLE?" She glared at the bystander's that had stopped to watch the scene unfold like a day-time drama show. Completely upset and frustrated with everything, her emotional cup overflowed, and Kami help anyone else who got in her way.

Hinata's momentary outburst had not only caught the notice of the citizens who happen to be on the street, it along the attention of a few Anbu who were on patrol. Unfortunately for Hinata, her father was on the lookout for his daughter and had employed the entire Hyūga clan in the search effort. If they located the young woman, they were to escort her back to the Hyūga compound immediately.

Suddenly a pair of Anbu, one masked with a bird and the other a bear appeared before Hinata and Hanabi. The men wore a standard Anbu uniform; Bird was of a thin but muscular build with short dark hair with no visible weapons, while his partner was a bit taller with longer auburn colored hair and a very muscular build. Bird wore a large war-hammer type weapon on his back with a large blade on his right hip – the man was a close-combat type.

"Hinata-sama, you are disrupting the citizens, and your conduct is not befitting that of a Shinobi of the Leaf," Bear spoke firmly and was actuality a member of the Hyūga – feeling a sense of embarrassment for her conduct.

"Hiashi-sama has been searching for you and asked that you be escorted back to your home." Turning his attention to Hanabi, "We will escort both of you home."

Hanabi scowled at him but then turned her attention back to Hinata, while standing up and dusting off her clothes.

Hinata now realizes the gravity of the situation with a pair of Anbu who will not take _no_ for an answer.

/****\

Nearly at the same time but in a very far away place, a gentle breeze blew over a field of green grass that stretched to a bright blue horizon. A lone cloud floated overhead as if it was out for an afternoon stroll on a beautiful day. A young man lay comfortably with his hands behind his head, basking in the warmth of the sun, dozing in and out.

A shadow casts itself over his face; two sharp edges meet a large form as it moves ominously over the blond hair man, who frowned slightly as the sun became blocked.

Letting out a slight sigh, "You're in my sun…" He smirked, "stupid fox." While his words may have sounded harsh, their intention was playful, a sign of their friendship and mutual respect.

 **"Look here you, snot-nosed little shit,"** the demon fox growled, sitting down next to the whisker-faced young man. The silence started comfortably, but Naruto found it deafening within a few moments. He knew what Kurama wanted to say; it's the same thing the fox had been telling him since he arrived in the mindscape. Time didn't function under the same rules of the real-world, distinguishing or tracking how much time has elapsed in one world versus the other was not a simple process – while not impossible, it's close to it.

 **"Are you planning just to stay here forever or are you going to get out of here so I can take a nap?"** The demon growled and was serious; the fox was tired of having a guest invading his space. It was his space, after all, the fact it existed within Naruto's mind didn't matter. The fox enjoyed running around the grassy fields and forests, conquered within the mind-scape. He didn't want anyone to see him running a frolicking – he had an image to maintain as an ominous demon.

"What, are you tired of me hanging around here?" Naruto didn't open his eyes to look at his massive friend. "Haven't I earned a little break? I mean I saved the fucking world from the source of all chakra – hell without her, you wouldn't exist." The blonde spoke in a very matter-of-fact tone.

The massive creature growled in annoyance, **"you can't stay here forever, there is a world out there for you. Plus, you owe me my freedom."** The demon turned and positioned he snout directly above his jailer's face, narrowing his eyes, bearing he teeth a bit, while unconsciously flailing his nine tails around generating air currents. **"Did you forget our agreement?"** Kurama spoke with an edge of anger and a bit of disappointment. He was not trying to hide anger if the blonde had forgotten and would not hesitate to express his anger if needed. There was also a feeling of betrayal. The fox became increasingly concerned that the first human whom he placed trust and considered a true friend might have just been using him like so many others.

Naruto cracked an eye and met the demon scowling at him, instantly smirking again. He thought to himself how he would have been afraid to meet the fox as a child. Now he just thought it funny when the _fuzz ball_ tries to be scary. He reached up and smacked the creature's nose, "I have not forgotten and how could you think that I would do such a thing?" A grin pulled on the corners of this lips, "jackass." Was his last word before going back to his restful state of _doing nothing_.

The fox continued to stare, and his annoyance multiplied, **_"this insolent human thinks he could hide there forever. That's not going to happen."_** Kurama thought for a few moments and recalled feeling a frequent presence in the outside world. It was currently absent, but it had been around more than any of the others, and fox knew whom the chakra belonged - the young Hyūga girl. Despite being locked away for so many years, Kurama had come to understand that the girl had an interest in Naruto. Her presence never wavered or changed even after all of Naruto's secret coming to light. He also genuinely was willing to tolerate the girl – high praise from a demon though he would never admit that fact to anyone, out loud.

 **"ALRIGHT KIT,"** his voice was just as ominous but lower in volume, he wanted to be sincere with the teen. He cared for Naruto – yet another thing he would never admit to anyone. **"You are getting to be a pain in the ass hanging around like you own the place. I want to sleep and enjoy this space by myself. Besides, it's not good for you to hold up in here constantly."** But his words were didn't get a response, not even an eyebrow twitch. Adding to the beast's frustration, Naruto knew how to work demon's nerves, but the boy also knew Kurama would not hurt him – too much.

Sharp teeth flashed along with a low guttural rumble of anger but before Kurama uttered a word.

"Why should I go back?"

The simple question took Kurama aback with some surprise and a bit of sadness. The beast knew what Naruto was saying, and he saw the things the boy saw, experienced what he experienced, felt the pain and loneliness. In some ways, the pair could understand each other much more than anyone else.

 **"I know what you're asking, and I also know what you are feeling."**

Naruto opened his mouth to retort, but Kurama didn't give him a chance and kept speaking.

 **"You're lonely. That's the long and the short of the matter. You're also afraid to face the life you endured as a child, but that's not the life you have now."** The fox paused a moment to let his words sink into the blonde's thick skull. **"Think about all those around you who helped and supported you over the years."**

Finally, Naruto reacted with furrowed eyebrows and a frown forming. "You don't get it, do you?"

Kurama growled in annoyance, **"THEN ENLIGHTEN ME – PLEASE."**

"I am grateful for my friends, and I probably would be dead, and the world destroyed without their help, but things are different now. Sasuke came back, which means that Sakura will be likely taking care of him and then he'll have to answer for what he has done over the years. Everyone else was a Chūnin; hell, Shikamaru made Jōnin, so they won't have time for me and have their own lives and careers to think about." The last part of his small speech showed the pain that he was trying to hide.

 **"STOP MAKING EXCUSES! DO YOU HONESTLY THINK THAT ANY OF THOSE FRIENDS OF YOUR'S WOULD WALK AWAY FROM YOU AFTER EVERYTHING THAT HAS HAPPENED?"** Kurama snorted and sat down next to Naruto.

 **"I KNOW FOR A FACT – A FACT THAT YOU ARE ALSO AWARE – THAT ALL OF THOSE PEOPLE CLOSEST TO YOU HAVE BEEN BY YOUR SIDE WAITING FOR YOU TO WAKE UP. YES, THEY HAVE LIVES AND CAREERS, AND LIFE MOVES ON. BUT YOU KNOW THERE IS ONE AMONG THAT GROUP WHO HAS BEEN THERE ALMOST CONSTANTLY. DO YOU NOT OWE THEM YOUR GRATITUDE?"** Kurama didn't want to speak for the young woman, it was not his place, and they both needed to confront their mutual feelings each in their own way. But that didn't mean he couldn't push the clueless young man.

Naruto snorted in derision at the fox's comment. "Yeah right, whatever. You only want me to get out so you can run and frolic around like a fool and don't want me to laugh at you." Naruto's mental image of the giant demon skipping like a school girl made him chuckle. "Who cares enough to sit around waiting for me to wake up?"

 **"DON'T BE SUCH A DUMB ASS, YOU KNOW WHO IT IS, AND I AM NOT GOING TO TELL YOU. YOU WILL HAVE TO WAKE UP AND FIND OUT FOR YOUR SELF."** With that said, Kurama, stood up blocking out the sun for a moment, he was too annoyed both with his blonde container for being so hard headed and blind, as well as, with himself for letting the kid get to him. The time for talk had come and gone. Now he just wanted to run through the forest.

/****\

Hinata stood toe-to-toe looking at the two Anbu, she would not back down from the pair who both stood about a head taller, but she had faced worse. She would not be denied visiting with her love or lunch, not her father, and definitely not the two goons who stood before her.

"Hinata-sama, please come with us," Bear stated flatly.

She eyed the man who had spoken and had no intention of backing down.

Bear's partner stood to her left, and his body was tense and ready for action. Both men knew whom they were dealing with and not to underestimate or treat her with kid-gloves — the young woman had stood against Pain to defend the hero of Konaha years ago and proved herself to be very capable in a fight.

Bird sensed things were escalating, without a word or fist thrown, he knew his partner was a member of the Hyūga branch and would not defy Hyūga Hiashi. "We do not wish this situation to become escalated," the man interjected.

Hinata was in no mood to deal with anyone, she was hungry, tired and wanted to be left alone to carry on her mission. The pair of men were pushing her patience to the limit and trying to be polite or composed was not a priority.

"Then leave," she said bluntly. "Go back to whatever you were doing Bird-san and take Bear-san with you. That way we don't have to worry about things becoming escalated." She spoke with an edge to her voice as a sign that she was not going to be pushed around by the men.

Her inner-self stood in full battle armor with the intention of fighting to the death. She hadn't taken her eyes away from Bear while addressing Bird, as if she knew he was the leader of the pair. While Hinata was not mission ready, she was a Kunoichi. As such, she was never wholly unarmed, and she was far from defenseless despite what some might assume about her.

The three shinobi were well aware of the situation along with a growing crowd for civilians, some of them whispering and gossiping to each other. A breeze blew through the silence, and all eyes were upon the three Shinobi in a standoff. One driven by love, the others were motivated by duty, all of them were ready to do what was needed.

"Are you going to comply with our order and the request of Hiashi-sama? If you do not, we will take you by force." Bear spoke with a bit of disdain in his words.

The meaning of his statement did not escape her ears, Hinata knew the man was a Hyūga and had an idea of whom she was dealing. The man's name was Koga, a branch family member. One of her family members who was an outspoken advocate for the branch family. As noble as his intention might have been in the past, she was no longer willing to be intimidated by any member of her family. She respected her father, but she would not bend a knee to anyone. Plus, Koga was standing in her way, trying to deny her access to Naruto and she would not tolerate any of it.

 _"Damn it this is getting out of hand too fast, and I don't want to get into a fight. It seems that father has the whole clan looking for me and including those in the Anbu."_ Hinata's thoughts raced trying to think of ideas to diffuse the situation. Only two options came to mind, fight or yield but neither was acceptable. If she fought them, the collateral damage would likely be extensive, plus she would probably be imprisoned and not be able to continue her mission. If she yielded to them, it would show weakness and might result in her confinement to the Hyūga compound. As a member of the main branch, diplomacy and negotiation have been something ingrained from early childhood. But some of the same lessons were also taught to the branch member children.

Raising her hand slightly, causing the two men to flinch slightly but her shy smile lulled them into a false sense of taking the upper-hand in the confrontation. "I do not wish to fight you, there have been far too many conflicts in the streets of Konoha over the years, and I don't think any of us want to contribute to that fact."

Bear scoffed at her statement, but she pretended to ignore him.

Bird stepped forward between the others, "since we agree, please come with us." He spoke in an even and measured tone.

"I am sorry, but I cannot do that at the moment. The Hokage has assigned me a mission, and I intend to see it through."

Koga's eyes narrowed behind his mask, and he gritted his teeth in annoyance, while they were of the same clan as such the head of the family leads them. However, the Hokage was the village leader, and any orders given may supersede a clan head in matters of missions or village safety - the Hyūga are no exception. As a loyal member of the Hyūga, Bird was more interested in carrying out the orders of the clan leader.

"Hinata-sama, your father has been searching for you and has an important matter to discuss with you immediately," Bear spoke in an authoritative but condescending tone – like she was an obstinate child.

But his tone and the underlying meaning did not go unnoticed by Hinata, the Anbu had been adding to her ire, and she was just – done. Done with him. Done with the _mighty_ Hyūga clan. Done with her father's superior attitude.

"Bear-san, thank you for relaying the message. You have done your job well as the personal massager for the great Hyūga clan." The last of her statement came out in a sarcastic and equally condescending tone.

"YOU WILL…" He realized his words and voice were elevated, earning a glare from his bird-masked partner. Bear cleared his throat and tried to compose himself. "You should report to your father immediately. Since you are a member of the main branch family and the heiress, I believe that obedience is required when the clan head beckons." He was trying to maintain an appearance of neutrality even though it was a pathetic attempt and anyone listening to the conversation would know he was a Hyūga. He was doing the clan's bidding under the auspices of the Anbu.

Hinata decided to have some fun and show him that she was not a fool, nor a little girl that would simply shirk her Shinobi responsibilities.

"Again, thank you Anbu-san, I appreciate your diligence. The message must be of vital importance. I guess it's a matter of village security since the Hokage obviously allowed the Hyūga to use the Anbu for clan matters." She had to use all of her will-power to stop from laughing or giggling. She knew full well that his actions were not approved or authorized by Kakashi. By reminding Koga that such permission would never have been given, his lie to the contrary could be tantamount to treason and meant as a warning to the branch member.

Koga knew he was getting dangerously close to a line that could end his career as an Anbu, as well as, cast an unfavorable light on his family. His partner also knew what was going on and decided that things needed to end.

"Bear, you have delivered the message, and we have other matters to attend. So, we should allow Hinata-sama to carry on with her business and attend to her family affairs.

Hanabi moved to stand next to her sister sensing that tensions were not running as high as they were a few minutes ago.

Hinata placed a hand on her sister's shoulder and gave a small squeeze of reassurance. "Don't worry Hanabi-chan, they are leaving, and we can get some lunch before going home." She spoke gently to the young girl but never took her eyes off of Koga. Her small smirk was a _fuck you_ to the third Hyūga, and they both knew there wasn't anything he could do to change anything.

Without another word, both Anbu disappeared in a swirl of air and replaced by a pair of green leaves.

The Hyūga sisters breathed out a collective sigh of relief and their bodies relaxed.

"I don't know if I'm hungry anymore Hinata-neechan."

"I know, we can just go home if you want. I really want to go to the hospital to check on Naruto-kun, but I don't want father sending anyone else."

"No, we can get something to eat. I think it was just those two jerks – assholes."

"Hanabi-chan!" Hinata was flabbergasted by her younger sister's outburst, even though she should not be that surprised. "That's no way to speak, especially for a young girl like you."

The genin blushed at her sister's words and felt a bit ashamed but quickly got over it.

"I agree, a young woman should not talk that way." A new voice made the pair spun around and saw the former Fifth Hokage leaning against the wall of a building.

The older woman had her arms crossed over her ample bosom and her left foot flat against the wall. "You did well Hinata. I'm glad you saw the situation for what it was and trust me I am going to have a conversation with Kakashi along with Hiashi about the behavior of the one in a bear mask." She spoke ominously and with an amount of deadly seriousness in her voice.

Pushing off of the wall and walking to Hinata, Tsunade wore a small smile of approval. "I heard everything, and don't worry about them. While I don't know if he was telling the truth about your father having an urgent matter for you. I do have some news that you will be interested in." She smiled. "Actually, I know you will find it very interesting."

Hinata's heart leaped in anticipation, the other women's words sounded ominous, and she became a bit worried. Her mind went to one place or more specifically one person.

"Please tell me he's alright? Did that horrible nurse hurt or do something to Naruto-kun? If she did, I'd kill her. I will hunt her down and reap my vengeance upon her!"

Tsunade ignored Hinata's comments for the moment but would ask her about it.

"He woke up, Hinata." Her words were simple, even; but betrayed a hint of relief.

As soon as the words hit the bluenette's ears, said woman didn't wait for another word to be uttered. She just turned and ran in the direction of the hospital, her with heart pounded with excitement and tears of joy filled her eyes.

 _"He's awake I can't believe I wasn't there. I have to get there and see him. I have to tell him how I feel and make sure he understands how worried I have been for him."_ Hinata's mind was in overdrive with thoughts ranging from practical to absurd. She had to reign herself in and focus on not overreacting or doing something rash when she got to Naruto's room.

/****\

Now a few streets away, Tsunade and Hanabi were left watching the love-sick madden disappear into the horizon.

"She didn't let me finish. He woke up but by the time we got to him he was out again."

Hanabi felt for her sister, "she's going to be really upset when she gets there."

Nodding in agreement, Tsunade tapped the brunette's arm, "come on. I'll walk you home; I need to speak with your father in private anyway."

A wave of anger emanated from the older woman, and it was apparent to Hanabi that there was going to be trouble at the compound when they arrived.

 _"Well dad, I hope you are ready because it looks like hell is coming your way."_

/ END CHAPTER 2

* * *

**Omake - _Tsunade's lesson_

Tsunade enjoyed her retirement. She could work on medical cases as she pleased. Go on trips whenever she felt like it. She was respected as if she was still Hokage but didn't have any more authority than any other Jōnin. She had the highest-level clearance to look into anything she wanted; basically, she had all the perks of the job without any of the annoying parts. Well, unless something happened to Kakashi, but that was unlikely given the state of the world - peace had triumphed. Luckily if it came to that Naruto would be up to the task.

"Who am I kidding the kid got nearly all the boxes checked. It's mostly just the small stuff and..." Tsunade smiled as she spotted the person most likely to add the one last piece Naruto was missing – Hyūga Hinata.

Luckily the young woman was talking with her younger sister, making it easier to listen in on their conversation for a few moments at least until she butted in with a little bit of news.

However, she frowned when a pair of Anbu suddenly appeared to deliver a message based on the exchange between the Hyūga sisters and Anbu. To her dismay, the message sounded like a matter of Hyūga clan business.

 _"What the fuck are these two doing?"_ Tsunade thought while making a mental note to inform Kakashi, _"he will put a stop to such things in the future."_

Hinata may be young, but that didn't mean she was a pushover and saw through the Anbu's statement to the truth. All the better for their future.

The retired Hokage frowned as the Anbu in an Owl mask grasped at Hinata's arm.

Tsunade's frown turned into a smirk as the Chūnin objected and didn't allow the man to touch her.

The Anbu were supposed to be the elites – the best of the best. Each trained to weed out any flaws in their techniques. Ultimately, they should be unmatched in skill. Of course, against one who single-handedly stood against one of Juubi's _'mini-me's'_ such skill was child's play. The fight was pathetic, laughable even.

Tsunade scowled in disgust at the how far Hinata's technique, power, speed, and skill stood above the Anbu. _"Damn, I should try to convince her to join the Anbu, she would shake them up and probably kick most of their asses."_ There were a few small hitches in her movement that stopped it from being completely one-sided. It was unclear if Hinata was holding back, but the fight was good overall.

Whether she realized it or not, the position Hinata was aiming is one where _good_ was not enough. Good was fine for Chūnin and even acceptable for some Jōnin, maybe even the clan head of the Hyūga. Hinata was not aiming for such lowly positions. No, she was aiming higher than that. Hinata was unknowingly aiming for the position of "First Lady of Konoha." It would be a lofty position that had been carved out by Tsunade's grandmother many years ago. More important to Hinata, the position of Uzumaki Matriarch was her ultimate goal. However, neither the Uzumaki or the first lady of Konoha should behave in such a way – brawling on the street like a common thug.

Really Hinata's behavior was unacceptable. Now that Tsunade thought about it, the elder sister was setting a horrible example for her little sister. But it wasn't Hinata's fault, the poor girl lost her mother young nor was her potential mother-in-law around. While Kurenai did wonders with Hinata, but sadly, the girl's goals were too lofty for her teacher.

Stepping out into the street, "I guess it's up to me then. Hinata, what do you think you're doing? Are you fighting an Anbu in broad daylight, with a bunch of a bunch of civilians gawking?" The woman's words stopped everyone in their tracks. "I'm disappointed in you, of out of anyone I expected you to act with a level head." Her words made Hinata second guess herself and the realization of what she was doing washed over her.

 _"She's right, what was I thinking? I could have killed him just now."_ The thought scared her in many ways. Hinata's body relaxed, and the chakra in her hands dispelled. She didn't look up and stepped back from the group to compose herself.

Tsunade continued turning an eye toward the pair of masked men "When an Anbu steps out of line you need to administer the proper beating, otherwise, it won't stick nor will others get the message." Tsunade's hand lashed out so fast only Hinata caught it. Grasping Owl securely by his head, she continued speaking. "I realize that this isn't exactly your style, but I'm sure you can apply the lesson firmly. First, remember Anbu work in pairs. So, neutralize the partner first. How? It doesn't matter."

Tsunade swung Owl into his partner. The other man flew over several buildings, but he'd probably survive.

"Now that you don't have any distractions. You can focus on applying your lesson firmly to the target."

The strongest woman in the world lashed out with her other hand, and a sickening snap echoed through the area. One limb dangled uselessly, but the man only whimpered slightly in part due to his windpipe being squeezed shut.

"Personally, I like to use open wounds to make sure that the target is awake. The mask can make that difficult to tell at times. If their unconscious, then the lesson doesn't stick. It's even possible for them to forget the whole thing." The medic made her point by sticking a finger into Owls chest. She ignored the loud scream and smiled at Hanabi who was taking notes – where she got a pad and pen was another question.

"I'm sure you can do some interesting things with nerve clusters given your Juken, but it's always best to learn other methods. My grandmother liked delivering a light beating then put a seal on them locking the person in place to think on what they did. Biwako, who was the Sandaime's wife liked to administer a poison that had interesting side effects. From my understanding, Naruto's mother and my methods were simpler though she preferred to use more joint-locks while delivering her lecture. I take a simpler approach and just beat them into traction then lecture them afterward."

"Umm lady Tsunade?"

"Yes, Hinata go on."

"What about, um… the gathered crowd?" Hinata looked around sheepishly at the gathered crowd.

"That's an excellent question. They are essential in spreading the lesson. It's important to make sure that as many learn as possible." Hinata nodded in understanding. She felt a little sorry for the man since he was of the Hyūga especially when Tsunade twisted his leg in an unnatural way. "Now I prefer this leg-lock as it causes the receiver to inflict pain on themselves if they resist."

The man's left ankle had been adjusted to touch his left hip and the sound of tearing ligaments and bones cracking echoed through the street.

Tsunade let go of her _training dummy_ as she heard another whimper escape Owl similar to a kicked puppy.

"That's how you really know your lesson has stuck. No matter your methodology they always end up sounding like that when you got it right." The Sannin brushed off any dirt she got on her. "Now we will discuss the scale of offense versus punishment, over a good meal and a drink."

Turning toward Hanabi, she smiled at the young girl who had stars in her eyes and just stared at the blonde-haired woman.

"Oh, I got some news for you."

"Um, shouldn't we provide aid to him." Hinata pointed to the man who was now crawling away very slowly. Sometimes Hinata's good nature could be a fault.

"No Hinata let him crawl away under his own power. It's important you leave them with their dignity after all."

*** Omake End ***

* * *

A/N: Well, there you have it Naruto's apartment is a mess with new life-forms developing in his refrigerator and sink, the whole place is in need of a "woman touch." To top it off Hiashi is going to be a pain in the ass along with the arrogant Hyūga clan. I know people are chomping at the bit to have them get together and I am with you, but we are getting closer to that moment.

I hope everyone is enjoying this story so far. It's something that I have been thinking about for a while and truth be told, the first two chapters have been writing for a little over a year. They just needed refinement and effort put into them.

Please read and review.


	3. Moving Forward

**Chapter 3 – Moving Forward**

 **Authors Notes:** Thanks everyone for supporting this story. I want to take a quick moment to address a review regarding plagiarism, first and foremost, I would never take someone else's and pass it off as my own. The Omake was actually written by someone else and might have been similar to other writings but it was not a copy of anything published previously. As an educator, plagiarism is a serious offense and is not something that would be tolerated in my classroom. Anyway, that's my 2-bits regarding that review.

I hope everyone enjoys this chapter, it's a bit shorter, but I am between semesters and time is limited. On with the show.

* * *

Fire and smoke rose into the night sky with screams and the sound of timbers cracking as buildings collapsed on some of the unlucky souls that were inside. People ran from their home while some ran towards the disruption and source of the destruction.

"What is that!?"

"I don't know, but we need to stop it!"

Shinobi leaped between roof-tops in the direction of a creature that appeared to be an enormous fox, some launched long-range attacks while others moved closer for a better chance of striking the rampaging beast that towered over the buildings it destroyed along its path. Screams of fear, pain, and desperation filled the air as villagers tried to get away from the danger, shinobi called orders to each other while others tried to save as many lives as possible.

Ohno Yoru ran in the opposite direction of the fleeing civilians; she was trying to get to her house in one of the densely populated residential districts. The middle-aged woman was of average build and stature with hair that was once dark green at one time but, was nearly all gray. Yoru abandoned her post in the hospital when news of a strange creature rampaging through the area where she lived. Her husband, Riku, would have been at home with their 4-year-old daughter, Raku. Yoru always through that Raku was the spitting image of the girl's father, a thick head of deep brown hair and a pair of bright purple eyes. The little girl was spunky and energetic and would likely be a tom-boy when she got older wanting to play sports with the boys.

Nothing mattered – not her job, not the people who were injured or dead – nothing. All that Yoru cared about was the only family she had in the world and the only people who mattered; however, the world had other plans. The woman ran down the street that she had lived for many years but didn't recognize anything, the corner market was gone, replaced with a pile of rubble and in the distance, she saw a fire burning where her home should have stood. The distance seemed to fade, and within a few moments, she stood before what had once been her sanctuary. But the building was burning, she tried to get through what was the front door, but the flames burned too intensely for her to proceed further.

She cried out their names over and over but heard nothing except for the sounds of incinerating timbers and building materials. She had convinced herself that her family made it to the shelters and were safe.

/***\

A few hours later, Yoru found that her assumptions were incorrect and after a few days of agonizing worry, the woman realized her greatest fear had come true. Her husband and daughter were dead – burned alive in what was once their happy home.

Yoru swore vengeance on the creature that had killed her family, and anyone associated with the beast. She wanted to leave her life as a nurse to become a Shinobi but had no talent or ability to fill the role, and she was too old to make such a dramatic life change.

Years later, Yoru learned through rumor and gossip; the fox that killed her family was not destroyed but sealed within a boy. A boy who walked the streets freely and without restraint. Enraged, Yoru and other villagers who had lost loved ones banded together to exact revenge on a blonde-haired boy, but there was a law that was meant to protect the boy limiting what they could do to him.

/***\

Fate was a strange thing, sometimes it denied or granted at seemingly random or inopportune times, but years after losing everything. Yoru thought it finally stood on her side by delivering the source of her anger and pain in the form of a one-armed Naruto. The "demon-boy" was now in her charge, and she could exact her revenge. In the woman's mind, the boy had the demon-fox sealed within him, and they were one and the same – both were equally dangerous.

Standing over the blonde-haired young man, Yoru held a scalpel in her left-hand seething while mentally reliving the events of 18 years ago. The day her husband and daughter were taken from her life. She recalled having to try and identify the charred remains of the two people she loved the most; every day she had to live without them.

Over the past weeks, she took little bits of revenge, cutting him whenever she could. The beast inside of him would heal the wounds within a few minutes, but she would feel a small sense of retribution. Now her time might be limited since a report that he had woken up earlier in the morning. He could wake up again at any time; she needed to exact her vengeance and finish the demon before it could hurt anyone else.

Within nearly the same moments leading up to a potentially fatal blow being struck down on the uncourteous young man. Hyūga Hinata was rushing toward Naruto's room; however, her method of reaching the young man was unconventional - at least for civilians. The Hyūga heiress was rushing up the side of the hospital building with chakra applied to her feet. Reaching his window from the outside, she expected to find the energetic blonde up and about - arguing with the staff or attempting to leave without permission. But what she saw shocking and made her blood run cold with shock.

Hinata pinned Yoru to the floor; her blood-line limit activated, her right-hand charged with chakra ready to strike the nurse dead for her actions. The Hyūga was running on baser instincts and pure rage. Fortunately, Hinata was able to overcome her knee-jerk reaction to kill the woman for her actions. Part of Hinata wanted to destroy the woman, kill her, bring her back and kill her again.

Hinata's face showed her rage; her body shivered with the surge of adrenaline as she locked gaze with the other woman. "YOU BETTER EXPLAIN YOURSELF QUICKLY YOU BITCH!"

"Get the fuck off of me you stupid Hyūga WHORE!" The woman yelled back and swung the blade towards Hinata's face. But the effort was wasted when Hinata grabbed her wrist. "That demon killed my family, and it must die!" The woman struggled against Hinata who sat on top of the older women, a hand around each wrist, effectively pinning the scalpel to the floor.

Hinata's grip tightened while she applied chakra into the woman's wrist numbing Ulnar and Midian nerves, the blade fell to the floor harmlessly. "What do you mean he killed your family?" Hinata tried to calm herself, but her mind was still enraged. She knew that she could easily kill the women with complete justification, but she couldn't do it. Despite her fury, she could not kill a person in cold-blood. Especially a person who was not trained in combat and was only acting out of emotion; that was not an excuse it would not be forgiven or forgotten.

"IT killed my family!" The woman sobbed as tears rolled down her temples onto the floor. "They burned to death when the fox-demon attacked, and that boy holds the creature that killed them. I have to avenge them."

Taken aback a bit, Hinata knew about the Kyūbi and the events that caused so much pain, anger, and loneliness for Naruto. She had seen the horrible things caved into his door, heard the things they said to him, seen him hide away from the world. But she was not prepared to actually see the pain and hear the words of someone who had been a victim of the attack.

"He is not a demon, and he didn't kill your family." Hinata's words were even and calm, she surprised herself but continued, "he was just born during the attack. An Uchiha had freed the fox during his birth." She was not revealing any secrets, as everything was now common knowledge that came out after the war.

"That boy holds the demon-fox, I have to kill it. If the boy dies. Then so will the demon!"

"Your wrong, the fox didn't do it intentionally, it was being controlled and made to do those awful things. You need to understand that Naruto and the Kyūbi would not have done such things without reason." Hinata knew that Naruto was a noble person and would never hurt innocent people and she hopped the fox would do the same.

The pinned woman struggled to move, but Hinata had the upper hand and was much stronger. Consigning herself to defeat, she merely said, "Just kill me. I can't live this life, and now I am going to be jailed anyway, so just kill me and get it over with. Save the cost of a trial." The gray-haired woman's words were low but serious.

Part of Hinata wanted to fulfill the request and her mind presented over a dozen ways in which the other woman could be dispatched. "I can't do that," she looked at the woman's name tag and learned her name for the first time. "I can't do that, Ohno-san, it is not my place to judge you."

The nurse began to sob uncontrollably, and Hinata felt for the other woman.

Hinata rolled the woman over onto her stomach and bound her wrists. The older woman didn't resist or stop sobbing as Hinata did what was required. She may have sympathy for Yoru, but that didn't mean that the woman's actions could be overlooked.

"Tsunade-sama will be here shortly, and you will answer for your actions," the bluenette said calmly. "For what it's worth, I am sorry your family died, but that is not an excuse for the attempted murder of an innocent man."

There was no reply except for more crying. Hinata felt bad for the woman, despite how much she wanted to hate the nurse, it just wasn't in Hinata's nature. That didn't mean that Hinata would forgive or forget Yoru's actions. She looked at Naruto who was still in his bed, with no knowledge of the events that had occurred a few moments ago.

/***\

An hour had passed, despite it feeling much longer. Hinata's emotions were still running high. It didn't matter that Yoru was on her way to the Interrogation section to be questioned, ultimately the woman was facing prosecution and imprisonment. After stopping the Yoru and herself from making life-altering mistakes; Hinata was trying to understand the other woman's actions. She was horrified to learn Yorus motives – the loss of her whole family. An injury that she never recovered from and turned her misguided hate toward the wrong person. No matter how much she tried to explain to the woman that, Naruto was a child and had nothing to do with the attack by the Kyūbi. It didn't matter; Yoru's hatred was engrained and had poisoned her soul.

Fortunately, the sudden scuffle and shouting drew the attention of hospital staff and ultimately security. Hinata stood in the room with her sleeping prince charming, the current Hokage, Hatake Kakashi, and his predecessor Senju Tsunade was also present. Hinata also learned that her father was on his way according to ram-masked Anbu who was standing guard outside of the room.

Hinata gave her statement regarding the incident including, what she had witnessed and what the gray-haired woman had said. She told both of the Hokages' about the abuse that the nurse had been inflicting on Naruto and had been assured that the woman would be dealt with appropriately.

While looking over the sleeping war-hero, Hinata noticed that the cut to his arm had healed with no indication of a cut except for a small trickle of blood that ran down from the wound on his right bicep. She brushed the droplet away with her finger and rubbed the fluid between her pointer finger and thumb. Absentmindedly she stared at the bright red liquid and worried about his safety. She started to get angry with herself for not being there and started what-if'ing the events of the day.

Fortunately, before her train-of-thought got too far off the rails, the hospital room door was abruptly flung open, and Hyūga Hiashi entered without saying a word or asking permission to enter the room. Blatant rudeness was not in his nature unless he was angry or felt there was no reason to show respect. Hinata knew this all too well since her father often did the same thing when she was younger. But that behavior was halted abruptly after an incredibly awkward incident when he just opened the door, and she was dressing after a shower. The man learned two things that day: the first that his daughter was indeed growing into a woman and the second was that he needed to knock – regardless of his mood.

This time Hiashi was annoyed and angry that Hinata had missed an important clan meeting and effectively showen disrespect toward the clan elders and himself.

"Hinata," his voice was cold and sharp, cutting through the quiet of the room like a knife, causing the young woman to jump slightly.

"Fa-Father, w-what are you doing here?" Hinata cursed at herself for stammering and stuttering like a little girl.

Stepping forward he answered the question, "looking for you, young lady." His anger was evident to the point he didn't acknowledge the other persons in the room. "I don't know why you think that you don't have obligations to the clan or that you don't have to attend meetings."

After a moment Hinata collected and composed herself quickly and looked her father straight in the eyes. "I apologize for my absence. I was been assigned a mission by Hokage-sama and was performing my duties as a Shinobi of the Leaf." She didn't break eye contact with her father but gestured toward Kakashi.

"Hiashi, she is correct, I assigned her the mission this morning. It's expected to last for an extended period of time." Kakashi stepped in between the father and daughter, "I am sure you understand that missions assigned take priority and Hinata acted properly."

Tsunade watched the tense interaction with delight before stepping in to get her own digs on the Hyūga leader. He was an arrogant prick and she had never been one to knuckle-under for Hiashi or the Hyūga elders. "I am sure she would have informed you and would have worked out her obligations between the village and the Hyūga if she had been given the chance."

Hiashi turned his gaze to the slug-Sanin, who didn't look away or feel any level of intimidation.

"Lady-Tsunade, you are no longer Hokage and do not speak for the office you once held, please do not speak to matters that are above your current station."

Tsunade perked an eyebrow and was ready to break the man in half, like a twig. Stepping forward she spoke, "you watch yourself Hiashi, I could pull your spine through your mouth if I wanted too and there isn't a DAMN thing you can do about it." The woman was absolutely sure of her words and would do it to prove her point.

"Now, now, there won't be any need for more fighting," Kakashi stepped in to diffuse the tension.

"Kakashi, I learned something disturbing a short time ago." The slug princess said, "would you like to hear about it?" She didn't look away from Hiashi and gave him a small smirk.

"I'm sure it can wait until later, Tsunade."

"Well it involves the Hyūga and their use of the Anbu as their personal search and massager team, so I thought it would be important to bring it to the attention of the Hokage. I am a diligent Shinobi of the Leaf after all," Tsunade was enjoying herself as she watched Hiashi's face betray him.

The Hokage sighed and internally echoed a common phrase from a certain Nara – " _what a drag,"_ but he needed to be diplomatic. "I'm sure that such activity was a simple misunderstanding. Hiashi certainly knows that such actions would carry serious consequences for any clan, especially their leader or elders. If such an illegal order were to be issued to clan members.

Hiashi being an experienced diplomate and politician knew he been caught and needed to be careful. "If you have a specific accusation to make, then please do so. If someone has been representing their actions as sanctioned by my clan, then we Hyūga will investigate the matter and take the appropriate action."

"It was one of your clansmen who stopped Hinata and Hinabi on the street and basically tried to bring them back to your families complex by force. Even after Hinata indicated she was assigned a mission and would speak with you upon her return in the evening. The Anbu in question had implied that you Hiashi had, requested that the Anbu locate and bring Hinata to you. But we all know you would never do such a thing." Tsunade finished with a questioning tone but knew exactly what she was doing.

"Alright, I am sure that the Hyūga can deal with this matter internally," Kakashi spoke to the others in the room. "But, I do want to make this clear and understood. Hinata has been assigned a mission within the village and baring a serious incident or emergency will remain assigned for the foreseeable future."

Hiashi's jaw was clenched and his annoyance was apparent, but he knew to keep silent.

Kakashi turned around look at Hinata, "I know you were going to speak with your father when time permitted. I am also sure that you'll be able to balance your Shinobi duties and clan obligations." The silver-haired man's man was hidden only slightly by his mask.

Hinata couldn't speak as all eyes fell on her, she simply nodded.

"Good, now that that's settled." Kakashi paused a moment and moved around to stand next to Hiashi. "Hinata, I think you should tell your father about the events that recently occurred."

Hinata reacted with a slight gasp but steeled her resolve when her father's icy stare landed on her once again.

/***\

After spending about 20 minutes recounting the incident with former-nurse Yoru, Hiash stood silently processing his eldest daughter's words.

"Hinata you have brought honor to the Hyūga clan. A rarity but something that has happened in more recent years."

" _What a back-handed compliment. This guy is an even bigger ass then I had ever thought."_ Tsunade thought as her fist clenched with anger and annoyance.

The young blunette's shoulders slumped at her father's words. _"He acts like I can't do anything right and when I do, he makes it all about the clan."_

"I think you are missing the point, Hiashi," Kakashi spoke up. "Hinata save Naruto's life and if I recall correctly, this was the second time."

"Be that as it may… Hokage-sama," his words had a sneer to them. "As you said, Hinata is on a mission as a Shinobi of the Leaf and like any other, aided a fellow Shinobi." Hiashi's words were still cold and unfeeling. "As such, I will overlook her absence earlier today, but that does not mean that future transgressions will be tolerated."

Tsunade had enough and cut in abruptly, "Your daughter saved the life of a man who saved the whole world. You could cut her a bit of slack and at least give her some kind of praise for her actions." The blonde woman stepped closer, "you pompous-ass."

"You may be the former-Hokage, but that does not give you the right to speak to how I raise or speak to my own daughter." Hiashi's practiced calm exterior was starting to crack and show his level of anger.

"I think we can all agree that Hinata's actions were exemplary and she acted in the best interest of everyone – especially Naruto." Kakashi was getting tired of having to mediate. "We need to wait until the report from the Interrogation unit and allow Hinata to carry on her duties." The silver-haired man gave the young woman a knowing look with a smile behind his mask.

"As you say," Hiashi knew he could not say anything to the contrary but would be sure to have words with his eldest, behind closed doors. "Hinata, you will see me this evening when you return, and I expect you to explain the details of this _mission_."

Before Kakashi or Tsunade could respond, the Hyūga leader had left the room.

"You know your dad is a real ass." Tsunade said outload with no remorse.

Kakashi simply shook his head.

/***\

Hinata fell into her familiar hospital room chair next to Naruto's bed, an exhausted breath left her lips after her father, the former Godaime and current Rokudaime had taken their leave. The room was finallyquiet with the exception of the hospital monitors that steadily beeped. Her eyes felt heavy and the events of an hour ago crashed into her and the mental walls that held her in-check crumbled. The young woman was not a drinker in any way, but she really wanted a shot or three of a strong sake.

Leaning back, the blunette folded her hands over her lap and closed her eyes, "just a quick nap. You don't mind, do you Naruto-kun?"

But he didn't respond as usual.

"Well it's kind of like sleeping together." She blushed and giggled to herself while leaning forward and placing her hand of his bicep giving it a slight squeeze before settling back into the large chair.

/***\

"Hiashi, have you spoken with your eldest daughter?" A smooth and arrogant voice spoke.

"No elder, she has been assigned a mission and currently performing her duties. I did have a moment to instructor her to report to me when she returned this evening."

"This is most inconvenient," the old man spoke. He was short with boney features and light gray hair. "You are to speak with the Hokage and have the mission assigned to someone else. If that young fool does not do as he is told, remind him who we Hyūga are and that we are the most powerful and prestigious clan of this village."

"I understand that a union between the Hyūga and Wasabi family from the Land of Tea will help to continue our prosperity. But, I will not taint the clan by making an inappropriate request to have any member removed from a mission for our benefit." Hiashi's voice showed his annoyance and anger.

"You forget yourself, Hia-" The man was cut off when the clan head slammed his fist against the mahogany desktop.

"Did you not hear my words? I am perfectly aware of the situation and I will make sure things happen in due course. Taking action as you suggest will likely lead to more problems family." Hiashi's scowl was prominent and he made no attempt to hide his feelings.

" _Hinata is strong willed and would not willingly drop a mission and if she found out that I made a request to remove her. I don't know what she might do."_

"If that is all you need elder, I have some work to complete before Hinata arrives."

"Just make sure that girl does her duty. Remind her that family comes first, and our benefit is her benefit." The older man spoke as he walked out of the office without another word.

/***\

During Hinata's nap, her mind was not filled with intimate moments; her mind conjured the pair sitting quietly together on a park bench in the warm sun. His left arm around her shoulder holding her close enjoying each other's company. She snuggled close to him as the sun light shown down over their form, as if they were the only two people in the world.

" _I love you, Hinata."_

" _I love you, Naruto-kun," she placed a kiss on his cheek as if it was the millionth time. The moment was completely natural for them both._

Hinata's waking mind hung over the happy couple, she felt a yearning for the moment to be real and to hear him say the words to her. But the moment was interrupted as the feeling of a new energy suddenly intruded and her Shinobi senses kicked-in to wake up immediately.

Opening her eyes and sitting up quickly, Hinata was surprised to meet the gaze of Naruto. It took a moment to register what was happening, but something felt off.

"Naruto-kun?" She asked hesitantly as her mind cleared the fog of sleep

He didn't respond but formed a malevolent grin.

Hinata nearly leapt out of the chair and showered Naruto with kisses but something didn't feel right. She shuttered slightly and realized what the problem was, his eyes were a bright red with a vertical pupal slit. Gasping in realization, "you're not Naruto-kun? Are you?" Her guard went up as she stood.

He nodded slightly before speaking, **"You have nothing to fear from me."** His voice sounded like Naruto's but much deeper.

"You… You are the Kyūbi? Right?"

Nodding his head, **"To you humans, yes."**

Her initial surprise and shock quickly wore-off as she realized to whom she was speaking and stood up.

The possessed blonde made no motion or action and simply watched the young woman curiously for a few moments. A small smirk graced his lips, **"you really are an interesting human. It's no wonder he likes you."** The creature paused a moment, **"Too bad he's too dumb to realize his own feelings."**

The demon's words made Hinata shudder again while her face flushed brightly. "He likes me?"

* * *

/ OMAKE – An unexpected visitor \\\\\

Hinata was enjoying a one-sided conversation with Naruto, telling him about a new outfit she had bought earlier in the day. A knock on the hospital room door interrupted her story and description of the garment.

"Come in please," the young woman called as she stood up, assuming it was one of the nurses or doctors on their hourly rounds.

The door slid open, and to Hinata's surprise, an animal pushed its way into the room. It was obviously a dog but a breed she had never seen before. The dog had a long snout with large floppy ears that nearly touched the floor; the fur was mostly brown a few patches of white on its back, chest, and legs. It was not that tall but had large feet with claws that tapped the floor as it moved.

Hinata watched the animal curiously as it sniffed around the floor near the entrance, but then it spotted her standing in the middle of the room. The dog ran toward her with a happily wagging tail, then jumped to stand against her leg. The dogs looked up at her as if it was expecting her undivided attention - a fact that was true.

The dog loved people – no matter who they were, it was expected that all of the attention in the room.

Hinata extended a hand and touched the dogs head, its fur was soft but had a somewhat coarse texture. She studied the animal's face and noticed that each eye appeared to have mascara around them, but it was the color of the fur surrounding its amber colored eyes.

"Well hello," she spoke to the animal. "Aren't you a friendly," Hinata giggled at the dogs brazen and forward behavior.

"Bernie don't jump on people." A woman's voice from near the doorway drew Hinata's attention. A tall woman with long, thick, bright blonde hair, not the same shade as Naruto's but similar. Hinata guessed the woman was in her 30's, but the woman was beautiful.

"I'm sorry; he has no manors." The blonde-haired woman spoke as she stepped into the room, closing the door behind her.

"Bernie. Is that your name?" Hinata leaned closer to the dog and got a big wet tongue on her cheek. Hinata drew back giving the dog a laugh at his antics. "It's okay, your so cute and that probably gets you everything."

"Yes. Yes, it does," the other woman sighed out.

Hinata rubbed under the dog's large ears, and his cheeks before the dog sneezed and hopped down and proceeded to sniff around the room with vigor and enthusiasm.

"My former team-mate is part of the Inazuka clan, and I have seen many of their dogs, but I don't ever recall seeing a dog like Bernie."

"Ahh, yes, we are here from the far west, in a kind of dog exchange program. Bernie is a Basset hound; the breed has an excellent sense of smell and inherent tracking ability. So, the Inazuka wanted to try and develop a crossbreed to help develop a better tracker."

"That's interesting. By the way, I am Hyūga Hinata."

"I'm sorry, I should have introduced myself. My name is Adrienne, and this hot-mess as you know is Bernie."

"It's nice to meet you Adrienne-san, he's so cute, and I bet that noise of his takes him everywhere."

"It gets him in trouble all the time, and he sometimes does not listen that well either. But it's a good thing he's so cute."

The two women watched the Basset sniff around the room focusing its attention of the hospital bed.

"He knows your husband is laying there. I hope there is nothing serious."

Hinata's face flushed bright red at the word 'husband.' "He is not my husband." "Not yet, at least."

Adrienne looked at Hinata with a curious look and snickered at the young woman's red face and understood the situation in an instant. "Sorry to make an assumption."

The creaking of the bed caught both of the woman's attention. Hinata's heart leaped with the thought of Naruto getting up while Adrienne knew what was probably happening.

Unfortunately for Hinata, her wish wouldn't be granted by the universe, and Bernie was standing up against the bed sniffing at Naruto's face. The dogs tail wagged happily as he began whimpering slightly to get the man's attention, but to the dog's dismay, the blonde did not react. Undeterred Bernie started barking loudly and licking Naruto's cheek in an attempt to get attention.

"Bernie! Get down and leave him alone!" Adrienne scolded as she walked over to the dog and tapped him on the top of his head. The dog turned to look at the tall woman but then looked back at the blonde man. "I said get down."

Hinata watched the exchange between the other woman and her dog and found it interesting to watch and very humorous. If Bernie had of woken Naruto up, she would have been eternally grateful to the pair.

"Alright, you bad boy, we need to go. Your daddy is probably wondering where we are."

"He's fine. I wish Bernie-kun had of woken up Naruto-kun." Hinata spoke while staring at her blonde-haired love. "He's been sleeping for months, and no one knows when he will wake up or …." Her words faded off as a tear rolled down her cheek.

Adrienne had placed a leash onto Bernie as she walked over to Hinata. "I'm sorry that this is happening, but hopefully things will work out for the best." The blonde woman felt for the young Hyūga but didn't have any words to offer. The only things she could do was place a supportive hand on Hinata's shoulder for a moment. "All you can do is hope for the best and be here for him. The universe will work things out and if nothing else try kissing him. Maybe he will wake up then."

Without thinking, Hinata said, "I already tried that…" But for she finished her statement. Hinata clamped her hands over her mouth and blushed firstly.

Adrienne laughed at the young woman's antics and could tell that Hinata was reserved and shy, but it was equally apparent that Hinata was in love with the young man.

"Don't worry your secret is safe with me. Keep trying you never know what might happen."

"I hope you are right Adrienne-san."

With those words, Adrienne looked at Bernie, "are you ready to go?"

The dog gave a single bark.

Hinata crouched down and kissed Bernie on the nose and rubbed his ears. "Come back and see us anytime Bernie-kun."

The dogs tall never stopped wagging.

"Come on Bernie-man, let's leave these nice people alone. We will come back for another visit before we leave the village."

Walking to the door, Adrienne turned to Hinata, "take care. Hopefully, we will be able to meet the young man next time."

"I hope so too." Hinata gave a small smile as she watched the woman and her dog leave.

Turning toward her chair, she could hear Bernie's bark echoing down the hall and giggled at the dog. Before she leaned over and kissed Naruto, "please wake up soon."

/OMAKE – End \\\

########

I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. Please leave me a review they are always welcomed.


	4. Demons Are A Girls Best Friend

**Chapter 4 – Demons are a girl's best friend**

* * *

Disclaimer: I wish I could come up with an interesting way to say, "I don't own any of the characters or intellectual properties they belong."

* * *

" **Of course, he does. You foolish human. I have watched you for many years, and I know you are smart enough to realize he cares for you."** The demon rolled his hosts eyes slightly but smirked knowingly.

The demon's words surprised Hinata, and without realizing it she lowered her guard as her mind reeled with words **'..he cares for you'** bounced between her ears. She felt her face engulf in the burning heat of embarrassment, laced with joy and hope.

Pushing her feelings aside for the moment and composing herself to the best of her ability at the moment. Hinata realized she had barely said a word. "I-umm. I-I" She stuttered like her childhood self when being scolded by her father. "I am honored that you would speak with me." She blurted out with a slightly raised voice. "It's nice to meet you finally."

The young woman's words caught the fox's attention.

"You have kept Naruto-kun safe for so many years and probably know him better than anyone in the world," Hinata said while bowing her head to the fox-in-human-clothing.

Hinata's words once again were unexpected; the fox was expecting her to scream in panic, and run away in terror. But the young woman didn't appear to be scared in the least, nor was she upset by his presence. In all of his years, every human he had ever encountered was terrified of him. Something he had enjoyed and admittedly had cultivated such reactions.

" **You honor me, young one and I am happy we can have this conversation together."**

Naruto's body stretched and flexed all of the muscles that had not moved for weeks. The demon inspected the bandages at the end of what was its host's right arm. **"Interesting how fragile you humans are…fucking Uchia,"** his words held anger to them.

Hinata observed Naruto stand up and begin moving around as if nothing had happened and had to continually remind herself that there was a demon in control and not the man whom she loved.

"Umm, Kyūbi-kun."

The honorific caught his attention, never had someone used such a familiar term with him except for his siblings and father. Never a human.

"I don't wish to sound ungrateful or selfish, but…." Her words were cut-off.

" **But you want to know where the knucklehead is, don't you?"**

"I ahhh. I- I didn't mean…to…" Hinata stammered and stuttered to answer.

A deep bellowing laugh filled the room. Kurama knew precisely what was happening and found that having some fun with Hinata was too much to resist. She was such a polite and composed woman that all he had to do is hint at some level of insult or offense she would revert to a scared little girl. It was one of her endearing qualities that showed her true nature. She was honest and genuine in all aspects of life, especially when it came to his blonde container.

Holding up the only hand available, **"no need to explain, I know you have been worried about him and I can assure you that he is safe, and I am not holding him back."**

"I am relieved to hear that." Hinata paused a few moments, "Why hasn't he woken up? Was the injury too severe?"

The question was simple to answer, and in any other circumstances, the fox would have answered honestly or bluntly. However, with Hinata, the truth might hurt the young Hyuga. Something that he genuinely didn't want to inflict and knew that Naruto would not have wanted either.

" **Don't worry; he is fine and is taking a little bit of time to rest himself mentally."** His words were not untrue or deceitful but did omit Naruto's feelings uselessness after fulfilling his promise. Looking out the window, **"not that the boy had much in the way of mental capacity that required rest to begin with."** The joke was meant to lighten the mood of the room, but he didn't realize that Hinata might not have heard his words or saw them as a joke. Turning his head to look at her standing in the same spot as she had been, he saw a tier hit the floor. Her face was down, and her shoulders lightly shuttered as she tried to hold back a flood.

"I miss him." Her words could be felt, even by a demon. He knew she was hurting and upset even without her words.

Turning towards her, **"He will return, I can promise you that…. He's getting to be a pain in the ass."**

Hinata managed to give half a snicker at the obviously annoyed fox-demon as she wiped the tears from her eyes and face. Knowing Naruto's personality, he could sometimes be _overwhelming,_ but he had a big heart and endless energy. All of those things were what defined him and drew people to him. But the previous statement made her curious something.

"Um.. can I ask you something?"

The possessed blonde perked an eyebrow.

" **You just did, but you can ask something else if you want."**

He spoke with a fanned humble attitude, he genuinely liked the girl, but she was sometimes too sweet, and it was effortless to tease her. However, he did respect her as a warrior; she stepped into danger and proved herself beyond capable on the battlefield.

"When do you think he will wake up? Is there anything he needs, or I can do for him to help?" Her words spoke volumes about her concern and worry.

The blonde laughed hardily at her question, _**"she is so naïve and innocent. It's honestly refreshing to hear genuine concern for the boy."**_

" **I don't mean to laugh at you, but I couldn't help it."** The Kyūbi felt a bit bad for laughing at her question.

Her face showed her embarrassment as she turned away.

" **Don't worry young one, he is fine physically. It's just he is taking some… 'personal time' as I just said"** His words were true, but he didn't want to speak out-of-turn; it was not his place to discuss Naruto's feelings. Plus, he knew that Hinata would want to do something or try to get the boy back, but there was nothing she could do at the moment. Naruto had to return when he was ready, and not even the bluenette nor the fox could make him do otherwise.

" **I have spoken with him repeatedly and told him in no uncertain terms to leave. He's so exhausting, but he wants to 'rest and relax.' But I have told him plenty needs to be done and to get lost."**

Before she could realize her words, Hinata spoke out of pure emotion, "he can relax with me. We can go to a hot-spring or the beach or anywhere." Her words descended into tears, "…anywhere, just come back Naruto-kun... please."

While the fox-demon was not known for being sympathetic or a creature that felt for humans – aside from disdain, hatred or anger, seeing the young woman cry for Naruto, was painful, he found that he wanted to make her stop at any cost. The feeling was disturbing and surprising, _**"what the hell is wrong with me. This human girl is upset, and it's upsetting me."**_ Clenching his fists for a moment to regain his composure and refocus his thoughts, pushing the uneasy feelings aside for the moment.

" **I want him to return not just for you but for me as well."**

Hinata looked up, clearing the tears from her face, "what do you mean?"

" **Having him lay around was fine for the first few days, but now he's just being lazy. Reminds me of that Nara who stares at the clouds all the time."**

The realization that the Kyūbi had been watching everything and everyone through Naruto's eyes had suddenly struck her. The demon knew everything about not only Naruto himself but also the people around him – herself included.

While she was thinking, Naruto got back into the bed, **"I can only stay in control for a short period at the moment. I too am still weakened from that last fight and will require time to regain my former self."** He boasted about his greatness. **"Another reason I want him out, so I can get some damn sleep."**

Quickly Hinata sat on the edge of the bed. "Please tell him, to come home. Tell him that I am waiting for him." She didn't try to hide anything and was determined to let Naruto know that she wanted him back in her life. "Tell him; I want to talk to him and miss him so much."

" **I will let him know."** The demon smiled, **"I will even tell him, he made you cry, that should get him moving."**

"N-no! Please don't!" But her words were not heard, as the boy's eyes were closed, and he resumed his stoic pose in the bed.

"Damn it," she muttered to herself, as her shoulders sank while looking longingly at Naruto.

/***\\\

Hinata could not stop her mind from running wild and repeating the conversation with the Kyūbi along with his words about Naruto. On the one hand, the demon reassured her that he was safe, but taking a mental-health break — something she could understand and if anyone in the world, the blonde-haired shinobi deserved it. However, the fact that he had retreated into his mind was very upsetting and equally alarming.

Walking through the gates of her family's compound, she beardly acknowledged the guards as she moved past them in a fog of thought. As she neared the entrance to the main house, someone tapped her shoulder and startled her out of her daydream.

"EEPPP!" She yelped in a very un-Hyuga or shinobi way. Turning sharply and drawing a hidden blade from her person, Hinata drew down into a fight-mode only to meet the gaze of a young branch-member.

The young woman jumped back when Hinata presented an aggressive stance, "Hi-n—Hinata-sama, your presence is required in the family meeting hall."

Hinata sighed as she relaxed and realized she reacted in a very aggressive way toward the young woman who was simply doing her job. "I'm sorry if I scared you."

"No. I'm sorry for startling you Hinata-sama." The young woman bowed politely, "please follow me to the hall. Hiashi-sama has ordered me to escort you."

"What could father need so late?" She relented, "please lead the way." Even though she was well aware of where she needed to go, Hinata followed the young woman.

Minutes later the pair reached the door to the Hyūga family meeting hall, an area in which the council of elders met. Gatherings of both houses for funerals, weddings meetings for dignitaries.

Hinata stood before the Shoji doors and knew her father along with the council of elders were waiting for her. There was no need for her blood-line to see that she was walking into the preverbal l _ions-den_. Without another second of hesitation, she nodded to the other young woman and slid the door open and stepped through with a thud as the door closed as abruptly.

/***\\\

The Hyūga clan main-hall was a vast room, the ceiling stood over four meters-tall with a vaulted form and longer then 100 meters – more than enough room for the whole clan and then some – if such things happened.

Observing protocol and years of manors, Hinata knelt before her father and the council of elders. The old men flanked her father on both sides, if she were worried about the fossils, she might feel intimidated, but Hinata knew they were well beyond their prime years. Some were practically blind and for a Hyūga that was nearly a fate worse than death.

"Father, I understand that you wish to speak with me. What do we need to discuss that requires the council of honorable elders?" She nearly choked on her own words, "I am sure they have more pressing matters to attend too." She felt the scowls and glares become more intense, but she paid them no attention – they used to bother her but were just a bunch of old men who were desperate to hold onto the bits of power they once held. Some of them were likely half blind, deaf or both but thanks to centuries of being Hyūga they hid it well.

One of the old men, who was sitting to her father's left spoke up before Hiashi. "We are the clan elders and are involved in all matters involving our family…. You would know that if you were a proper clan heir."

She openly scowled at the man, not bothering to show how annoyed she was with his comments, but Hinata held her tongue – just barely. As she was about to respond.

"You may have served the village as a shinobi, but have shirked your responsibilities to your family, station, and position as heir. As such we the elder council have decided to strip you of the title of clan-heir in favor of your sister. She has proven to be a much better Hyūga and will lead us to further prosperity."

Hinata was stunned, hurt, furious and crushed all within the same moment. How could they say such things, had she not proven herself capable during the Pain attack, during the war at every mission she took upon. _"This old bastard has no idea what I have done, to serve the village and the clan."_ Her fists clenched upon her lap; her eyes were down staring at the tatami mat. But her pale skin was flushed red with rage, and she fought against her instincts to leap onto the platform and strike all of the ancient fossils' dead.

"Fuck you." Her words were low, but she didn't try to hide them. "Fuck you, you miserable old bastard." She looked straight at the man, her Byakugan active and on full display.

The old man stiffened as Hiashi looked on impassively.

"How dare you speak to me like that!" The man stood, slowly but with somewhat impressive speed considering his age. "Guards seize her! It's time she learns her place and where she will be spending the remainder of her life." A crocked sneer developed on his wrinkled lips.

Two branch-members males rushed forward, but her reflexes and instincts fired as she was on her feet, ready to fight. The first man, Kaede, was the first come into Hinata's striking distance. He attempted to hit her inner-right bicep but found that she quickly sidestepped his poor attempt and earned a hit to his rib cage. The young man fell to the floor gasping and writhing in pain. The injury was not fatal, but he would not be out of bed for a few weeks.

Meanwhile, Hinata noticed the other young man; he hesitated after watching how quickly the _ex_ -heiress had dispatched his partner and focused her attention squarely on him.

"You don't want to be my opponent, or for you to get hurt. Please, stand-down." She spoke firmly, not wanting to have to hurt anyone more.

"Enough!" Hiashi stood up and effectively quelled the moment of disruption.

"Yes, quite right Hiashi. Your daughter has proven she is not fit, and this display of blatant disrespect only reinforces our decision." Another old-man spoke up.

"I agree, this has gone far enough. Anbu restrain this _branch-member_."

A man wearing a bear mask seemed to appear out of thin air, but Hinata was not impressed or intimidated. It was the same Anbu from a few days ago that was treated like a rag-doll by Tsunade.

Hinata remained ready, while she heard the comment by the old-man and figured that they were going to try and place her in the branch house. But she would not allow the caged-bird seal to be applied, and she would die before allowing such a disgusting and barbaric thing to touch her body.

"You again. I guess Tsunade-sama's lesson did not reach you, bear-san." Hinata smirked remembering the former-Hokage's demonstration.

The Anbu clenched his Kunai more, "it's only because of her former station that I allowed her to treat me with such disrespect. Had it been in a less public place, I would have shown her why we Hyūga are the most powerful clan of the Leaf."

"You're arrogant and overconfident… It's unbecoming for Hyūga." Hinata was blunt and tired of the nonsense. She was not going to drop her guard; it was apparent that she could not even trust her own family.

"Arrest her!" The elder who started the whole mess was instigating things further.

The Anbu stepped forward and attempted to grab Hinata's arm, but she pulled away quickly and threw a palm strike that missed its mark.

The man then threw a series of attempted strikes toward Hinata. The pair traded empty blows and missed attacks. However, Hinata didn't notice the quick movement of a seemingly harmless elder who remained silent since she walked into the room.

The old man moved with extraordinary ability as he ran through a series of hand-seals and threw a paper seal at Hinata's unprotected back. The seal immediately attached itself to the young woman's back and activated with a bright glow followed by a shriek of the former-heiress.

Dropping to her knee's, desperately grasping at the middle of her back, Hinata had no luck with removing the paper tag.

" _No. Noo. No, I can't move. I can't form chakra."_

Hinata's mind raced the situation was desperate – in her mind, it was life or death. The seal was suppressing her chakra to the point that the world started to fall into a tunnel. Darkness rapidly moved in from the sides and consumed everything.

Her last thought was of her failure to help Naruto, not being strong enough for him, not being fast enough to destroy the seal before it hit her.

Despair moved in almost as rapidly as the darkness as she lost consciousness.

/***\\\

A sudden gust of wind blew across a vast field of green grass. The burst of wind moved up a rolling hill. It tussled the blonde hair of a man who was lying in a black t-shirt and matching pants, his hands behind his head. His eyes closed – resting comfortably. Naruto's face contorted in annoyance but kept his eyes closed. "What is going on?"

Kurama, who was sitting beside the blonde, looked down at Naruto and then to the sky – clouds were moving in, and the blue skies became a deep shade of gray nearly instantly. He inhaled deeply, taking in the scents of the area around him. It was the mind-scape, but he could sense energies within the outside world. Something significant had disrupted the normal flow of things.

" **Something is wrong."** The statement was simple but pointiest.

"Of course, there is something wrong… There's always something wrong, or some disaster or a tragedy! Tell me something I don't fuckin' know!" Naruto's words were flat and disinterested, even opening his eyes.

Kurama had been annoyed and pissed-off at the blonde for the last few weeks, however, what the demon-fox felt in that moment was something else - disappointment. **"Now you look here, you bag of flesh."** The words dripped anger and venom; he had enough and was not going to stand for it any longer. **"IT'S TIME FOR YOU TO FUCKING LEAVE!"**

Naruto sat up immediately, not since he was a child had the fox spoken to him is such an angry way. It was similar to a parent scolding their child.

"I don't want to leave! And there isn't a damn thing you can do to make me!"

Karama knew the statement was true. The mind-scape was Naruto's after all, and the boy could quickly move them back to the dark sewers and the jail cell that he occupied for so many years. He had to protect himself, but also, he had an awful feeling about someone near to the boy's heart. **"Look there is something wrong in the village. Some very wrong and it's directly connected to you."**

"What?" Naruto's words were unsure. "What do you mean in the village? Like _Pain_ level bad?"

" **No nothing like that…. I think. I don't know exactly, but something is happening or has happened."**

The demon's words gave the blonde pause for a moment.

"What do you mean?" His words were serious, and his eyes were focused. It was the look of a man who was ready to do battle — the look of a leader that could garner the entire world to fall into step behind.

Smirking a little bit, the fox spoke. **"As I said, I don't know for sure, but that gust of wind and the sky changing so suddenly."** His muzzle pointed upward, **"those things are all tied to your emotions – either conscious or unconscious. Meaning that some part of you knows something is going on."** Returning his gaze to the Jinchūriki.

After a pregnant pause, Naruto sighed. "I know. I felt a burst of energy. I also thought I heard someone say my name, but that would be silly. Who would talk about me?" The question was honest, and he could not think of anyone who would need him. All of his guy friends, well they were guys. Guys didn't worry about each other like that, and the girls, well that would be completely absurd. Sure, he had a few moments with Hinata, she faced down Pain. She helped him during the war and tried to protect him when from a near fatal blow by the 10-tails. But she was the heiress to the Hyūga. Why would she want anything to do with him?

" **Look inside of yourself, you will know if someone close to you is in danger and if that's not the case you still know something is wrong… Now GO!"**

Naruto thought back to a few moments ago and listened to the voice that called his name, and it sounded familiar. It seemed sad and scared. The thought of such a sweet voice being unhappy or in pain made his chest hurt.

/***\\\\\

Naruto suddenly sat up in his hospital bed and caused the nurse who was checking his IV and performing her regular rounds to scream in surprise. The startled woman tried not to pee from the sudden shock but was unsuccessful as she ran to the washroom. He pulled the tubes and wires from his body, including a folly catheter – he would regret that later.

He ignored the frightened young woman as he began to take in natural energy, searching for his friends. He found Sakura a few floors above near Sasuke – check. His former sensei was in the Hokage tower - check. Pushing forward, he felt so many people, some he knew and some he had never met. Ino was in her family's flower shop, and her teammates were in a BBQ restaurant.

After what felt like an hour, but in reality, only a few seconds had elapsed, Naruto found the problem. His blood ran cold, losing focus for a moment causing his sage mode to fail. His eyebrows furrowed together, and his eyes flared red as his body became enveloped in a red chakra with a single tail waving in an agitated way through the slit in the back of his hospital gown – not the most formidable battle attire. Resisting the urge to just rush off in a hospital gown he found a pair of black shorts and t-shirt.

/***\\\

A red streak burst through a hospital window, showering the garden below with broken shards of glass and wood. The red ball of energy landed on a rooftop two streets away leaving a deep impression in the clay tile. It moved rapidly from roof to roof and across buildings in a straight line toward a specific _prestigious_ clan compound. Naruto made no effort to hide, his anger or his destination. He knew something had happened to Hinata, while he was not sure what exactly; he just knew something was very wrong. He couldn't feel her chakra at its normal levels and what he could sense was very dull. Hinata's chakra had always appeared to be a bright violet color that was easily distinguishable from any other person.

A pair of Hyūga guards stood outside of the closed main gates became alarmed as they suddenly felt a surge of demonist chakra in the area. They each activated their Byakugan to find what appeared to be hell heading right for them. Before they could alert anyone else or react in any way, Naruto appeared right in front of them wearing an evil look and a pair of black shorts and a t-shirt under his chakra cloak.

" **Move."** Naruto's voice was deep and dark. **"Move now, and I won't hurt you… much."** Again, his voice was dark but measured.

"We will defend the Hyūga with our lives if needed." The man standing on the right said.

"Yes, you have no business here. Demon." The other man spoke with obvious disdain in his voice.

Naruto didn't seem to react except when he moved with inhuman speed to knock the pair of guards into unconsciousness. Without a moment of hesitation, the blonde performed a series of hand seals and silently released burst of wind from his mouth toward the closed gate. It stood no chance and shattered with an enormously loud sound of wood breaking.

After dispatching the compound's front gate, Naruto found a group of Hyūga who stood ready to defend their home. If Naruto hadn't been consumed with anger and rage and thinking entirely clearly, he would have easily understood their position of defending their home. But at the moment he could only think straight enough to avoid killing anyone.

Naruto released a bit of energy, signaling to everyone present, that he was serious and was not going to back down. "MOVE! Or I will move you!" Crossing his arms over his chest, Naruto then extended them quickly and created a wave of air to push the barrier of people out of his way.

Most of the Hyūga were sent flying across the courtyard, but a few were experienced Shinobi and avoided Naruto's strike. Unfortunately for them, instinct was driving him, and his extensive battle experience made him a dangerous threat. He expected to have to deal with some challenging opponents among the clan.

A chakra tail swung out and knocked a shuriken out of the sky, causing the enraged man to look at the source of the attack and found an Anbu wearing a bear mask.

"Uzumaki Naruto, you have violated the Hyūga compound, attacked members of its clan and caused a disruption to the village." The Anbu spoke with an authoritative voice – by all rights, the masked-man, Koga, was correct in his assessment.

However, Naruto was not interested in anything the other man said or the subsequent consequences of his actions and was not going to let anyone stand in his way. All that mattered was figure out what was happening to his friend. **"Don't get in my way!"** He then let out a fearsome screeching roar and flashed to appear directly in front of the bear-masked Anbu.

The Anbu threw a series of strikes at Naruto, but none of them connect as the blonde skillfully dodged and parried around the glowing fingertips easily. Out of frustration, Koga leaped back a few meters to open some space to assess is options.

Naruto, on the other hand, was not in a mood to have a long-term fight and wanted to end the confrontation. He closed the gap and began throwing lightning fast and heavy punches, each connected with the Anbu; who was not expecting such a high level of speed or power.

In a ditch effort to move back to the offensive, Koga attempted to impale Naruto with a kunai, but the blade could not penetrate the cloak of chakra. His right wrist began to burn since the Jinjuriki took hold of him and applied pressure.

The radius and ulna shattered like glass, but the man didn't cry out in pain. Naruto threw a hard-left fist; shattering the mask, breaking the man's noses – bright red blood few. Koga fell into darkness, and Naruto set him down somewhat gently and moved toward a tall building. He could still sense Hinata's chakra in its dull status, but he was also close enough he could smell her.

/***\\\

"What is happening out there?" One of the elders asked to no one in particular.

"I sent Koga to check out the disruption. He will not fail us. I suspect it might the branch members getting upset over Hinata lossing her title as heiress." The second elder pointed to Hinata's unconscious body on the floor. Her arms were bound behind her back – the forearms were lashed tighter with the rope extending around the elbow and up to the mid-biceps. The rope placement was used to ensure that if she woke up, she would not be able to move her arms apart or loosen the bindings. Add to that her ankles were also bound with a lash from her ankles to her forearms, effectively rendered her immobile and defenseless. The paper seal was still on Hinata's back, it glowed as it siphoned her charka.

"Let us seal her quickly and so that we can announce Hanabi-sama's elevation and reinstate obedience." A third elder spoke up in a neutral tone.

"We will shortly, once Hiashi arrives. As her father, he has the right to administer the seal himself but if he refuses out of sentimentality, one of us will to it." The first and most senior of the trio instructed.

The wall of the large meeting hall blew open, sending wood and debris everywhere. The three men turned to see a pair of bright red orbs that seemed to be floating within the dust. After a moment they moved forward and revealed they were eyes that belonged to a young man. The men each recognized who had caused the ruckus and realized the seriousness of the situation – malevolent chakra flooded the room and became stifling.

Naruto looked around the room when he saw Hinata bound and laying on the floor; his heart nearly stopped, and his blood ran cold for a moment. The feeling of surprise gave way to more anger causing a second tail to rise from his back as the demon's attention turned to the trio of old-men standing near her.

" **What have you done to her, you bastards?"** His anger was very apparent, and he was fighting to maintain control, but Hinata's state was making it extremely difficult.

"How dare you! You have no right to be here or interfere with our clan's business." One of the men stepped forward refusing to show any intimidation.

Naruto let out a deep and angry laugh; he knew the old men were no match for him but also knew they would try to stop him. **"Don't try anything old-man. You have no chance against me."** His smile showed the elongated canine teeth as a low deep grow escaped his throat.

" **Last chance let me take her away and you will each walk away with your lives and bodies intact. Fight me, and you will suffer the consequences of your actions."**

"We can take him if we fight together." The senior man spoke up again causing the others to look hesitant, but each stepped forward.

" **Have it your way."**

Surprisingly though, Hiashi darted through the hole in the wall attempting to hit Naruto in a critical place. But the blonde side-stepped the clan leader, the man spun around and caught Naruto on the right forearm. The problem was Naruto's right forearm was currently constructed of pure demon chakra and repulsed Hiashi.

However, the man was very experienced and wasn't easily defeated, as soon as he was on solid footing again. Hiashi threw another series of strikes and a few hand seals calling out "Wind Style: Vacuum Release!" Hiashi forced chakra to his palms and created streams of air that darted toward Naruto and then immediately charged hoping to catch the demon-boy off guard.

Unfortunately for Hiashi, his plan failed as Naruto created his own wind release to deflect the vacuum palm attack. Hiashi was not fast enough to hit Naruto in a hand-to-hand fight and Naruto could see that the man was going to be a challenge but could be defeated quickly. His anger helped to fuel his speed and straight and now that Hinata's father was standing directly in of him front. The older man might be able to answer why Hinata was bound and unconscious.

" **These old fuckers couldn't answer my question. So how about it Hiashi, what happened?"**

"You need to learn some manors… boy." Hiashi attacked again with a somewhat predictable series of chakra infused fingertips attempting to hit any of Naruto's Tenketsu points.

Catching the man's arm, side-stepping around, Naruto was able to sweep Hiashi leg and pin the man face down on the floor. While holding Hiashi's right arm against the man's back, Naruto placed his left forearm against the back of the Hyūga neck. The blonde then looked at the elders who looked as if they were going to interfere, **"Take a step forward and I will break his neck and then you three will die a moment later."** His words were deadly serious and gave no room of misunderstanding or bluffing.

"What do you want?" Hiashi asked in his usual calm voice. Being an experienced leader, a Shinobi and skilled negotiator, he knew how to stay calm no matter the situation.

" **Simple. I want to know what happened to Hinata. Why is her Chakra so dull? Why is she tied up like an animal going to slaughter? And most importantly why is she unconscious laying on the floor?"**

"This is a Hyūga clan matter and none of your concern," the young woman's father answered callously. He groaned in pain as Naruto pulled his arm higher placing stress on the Glenoid joint.

" **Wrong answer, now tell me or you can explain yourself to Kakashi-sensei or I could just take her to safety after killing each one of you."**

"If you kill us, everyone will know you are just some dangerous demon who needed to be locked away years ago. As we advised the Hokage when you were born." The first elder spoke up again.

Naruto turned an angry glare toward the man, causing the pale man to become a shade whiter. It took every ounce of will-power not to lash out and massacre every man in the room.

" **I don't want to kill anyone, and I am not a monster, but I will also do whatever it takes to protect my friends."**

Naruto looked over his shoulder as he felt a large number of charka presence approaching rapidly. Some of which he recognized.

Releasing the hold on Hiashi, Naruto rushed past the elders – knocking one to the floor. She scooped Hinata up without a moment of hesitation and kicked through the opposite wall that led to the outside world. Running fast he released his chakra cloke having accomplished his goal of locating the bluenette. Running hard, he could not sense things as well as he could in sage mode, but he could feel that no one was in pursuit at the moment.

/**\\\

After about two hours of running, Naruto arrived at a cave hidden within a mountain. It was a place he could be alone and hide from the villages while he was growing up. He also isolated himself after Jiraiya's death so he could let himself go. No one knew about it; part of the reason was thanks to his late god-father. Who taught him the art of Fujitsu during their 2-year world trip.

Naruto set Hinata down gently on the floor of the cave. He realized that he had no weapons or blades to cut the ropes. Sighing slightly, he began searching around for something to cut the bindings while he was near the back of the cave, the glow of the seal caught his attention, it was something that had gone unnoticed until that moment.

"What the hell is that?"

" _ **It looks like a chakra suppression seal. It would explain why her chakra is so dull and why she's unconscious."**_ The demon-fox surmised.

" _That makes sense. Do you think I can just remove it?"_

" _ **I don't see why not, just look at it closely to make sure it doesn't have a trap or anything."**_

" _That's a good point but let me cut her loose first."_

" _ **She is a capable Shinobi and most likely has a blade on her person."**_

Looking at her form, he observed no weapons pouches or holsters. _"I don't see any of her normal gear."_

The fox growled in annoyance. _**"You really are a moron. You keep weapons hidden right?"**_

The blonde nodded absent mindedly.

" _ **You know I can't see you nodding right?"**_

"Yes. Damn it. I keep weapons hidden just like any other Shinobbiiiii…." The realization hit him, Hinata was a Shinobi and a very capable one. Of course, she has weapons hidden.

A question popped into his mind, and the reality of his situation finally hit him. "Where do girls hide weapons?" He often hid extra weapons in a small tattooed storage seal over his right rib cage. "Duhhh, I should have a few Kunai in my seal." Lifting his shirt, he pressed a hand to the seal and activated it with some Chakra, but nothing happened. Usually, he would be able to feel his tools present, but there was nothing – the seal was empty.

" _ **Come on, just check her. You can't leave her like that; look at her hands."**_

Naruto looked at her hands and could see they were becoming blue-purple-ish from lack of proper blood supply.

He knelt next to Hinata. His heart pounded in his ears as his face felt hot and sweat beads formed on his forehead. "I have to do this. I really hope she doesn't get mad at me."

" _ **Don't worry, she will understand. You also don't need to tell her either."**_

" _No, I have to, its only right and she will know anyway – she's smart."_

Naruto knelt next to Hinata; he looked at her bound arms noticing that her ankles were nearly touching her forearms.

"How disgusting. To treat your daughter like this."

He touched her right shoulder with his left hand. He hesitated for a moment and looked for any type of reaction. Moving his hands down her arm until he reached the end of her sleeve, his fingers grazed her pale bare skin – it was the smoothest thing he had ever felt. His heart was racing, and the cave felt like a hot-spring.

Moving to her stomach Naruto felt her tight firm abs as he checked from side to side, but he found that he could not reach the left side of her. He then ran a flat palm down her spine between her shoulder blades, feeling all the toned muscles and then down to the small of her back but still nothing.

Moving his hand over her right outer thigh, he ignored the thoughts that were starting to pop up in the back of his mind — proceeding down to her calf, stopping at the bindings. He then moved his hand back up between both of her lower legs but stopped at the knee.

" _Maybe she really is unarmed. I have checked everywhere and found nothing, not even a lock pick."_

" _ **Don't be stupid, do you go out completely unarmed, even on your day off?"**_ The fox snarled, he knew Naruto was afraid to check her thoroughly, but the situation required suspending usual decorum. _**"Check around the waistband; she would put them somewhere easily accessible but not easily detected."**_

The one-armed man could feel and hear his heart pounding in his ears. He forehead held beads of sweat, his mouth was dry, and his hand trembled as he reached out to her again. Touching her stomach again over the shirt, he instinctually looked at her face. He could see her breathing quietly but didn't react to his touch.

"Please forgive me Hinata." He whispered to her.

He slipped his thumb inside her waistband and proceeded to slide his hand along the top of her pants starting at the tie in the middle. Her skin was smooth and warm; he felt the top of her panties through her pants as his middle finger changed position. When he registered what he had felt blood rushed to his face, and he shook away any other thoughts.

" _ **Come on kit! Stop being such a coward!"**_

Naruto suddenly jumped as Kurama's words roared through his mind, but when he moved his hand slipped a bit lower, and he felt something.

"What is that?" He pulled his hand away from the waistband and moved to the spot he noticed something that was not soft. It was on her right side close to the hip-bone (Ilium). He hesitantly touched over the material of her pants, found the object again as he followed it with his index finger. It was a little over 7cm long by about half a centimeter wide.

"Alright, now that I found something, how the hell do I get it."

" _ **Come on kit, you know what you have to do."**_

Sighing, " _yeah, I know."_

Taking a deep breath, focusing his mind on the task at hand – they didn't have forever, and he needed to act. If he had a right hand, it would be simple to get the retrieve the unknown object, but with only a left, things were going to be challenging. _"Alright, it's time to nut-up or shut up."_

The fox rolled his eyes but said nothing.

" _You know, I have never been this close to her and I never really noticed how beautiful she is. Not just her looks but she really is the nicest person in the world."_ He thought as he brushed a few stray strands of hair off of her face. The tops of his finger brushed across her cheek and lingered for a few moments. _"She'll make some man a wonderful wife one day. I hope she can find someone someday."_

" **Maybe she already has. Dumb-ass!"**

" _Are you talking about me? We are just friends and after what happened with her family. She will probably never want to speak to me again."_ The statement was more upsetting then he would have thought. To not have Hinata around or be able to talk to her or have missions together, the thought was painful.

"I hope you can forgive me someday Hinata. Just know I am not doing this because I'm some pervert." Without thinking or realizing it, he leaned down and placed a kiss on her cheek.

He slipped his hand past the waistband of her black pants. He intentionally kept his palm against the pants material trying not to touch her. But he could feel the heat from her body against the back of his hand and forearm. Part of his arm brushed her panties; they felt soft and delicate. Looking down he could also see they were a dark blue with a lace edge. Gulping out loud and trying to focus. Had someone walked in at that moment, the image of Naruto with his hand down Hinata's pants while she was tied up and unconscious. He would have a heck of a time explaining himself, the only thing that could make things worse would be if Hinata woke up.

Add to the whole situation. The fox was howling with laughter in the mindscape. Knowing exactly what was occurring and how embarrassed both of the humans would be over the situation.

" _Shut the fuck up ya' stupid fox!"_

The blonde's words made the fox laugh harder.

Finally reaching the unknown object, the young man used his index finger to try and figure out what he had found. It became apparent that the unidentified object was within a hidden pocket – makes sense. What was bewildering Naruto was how to get into the pocket and retrieve the unknown object. After what felt like an hour, but in reality, it had only been a few minutes; frustration had started to set in.

"I hope this is a knife or something sharp Hinata because this is getting really uncomfortable and embarrassing." He said gently to the unconscious woman.

Leaning down closer to her mid-section, Naruto was not known for his patience and was about to rip the pants open but knew that would result in a very uncomfortable and potentially painful conversation later. So, he held himself in check from acting too rashly. He did, however, do something much more drastic. He reached back to the small knot at the top of the pants and pulled one of the strings; fortunately, it let go without much effort. One the pants were looser, he peeled the top of them down near the hidden pocket, over her hip, exposing part of her panties and pelvis. Moving the material enough to reveal part of the hidden pocket, he began to study it and attempted not to take in an of the new surrounding sights.

"How the hell would she get this thing out in an emergency?" He asked himself out loud. His eyes studied the outline of the pocket the stitching seemed to continuous. He was about to take the pants off, but he noticed a stray strand that was in a fold of the cloth material. It was red and stood out against the dark pants. Using his fingernail, he coaxed the string out of the fold. "Well let's try it. Unless you want to tell me." He looked up at the sleeping woman but not nothing. Punching the string between his index finger and thumb, he pulled, but it didn't move. He tugged sharply with more force, but it just tugged at the pocket and pants.

Groaning in annoyance, "you're killing me with this." Rolling the string between his finger and thumb, it didn't feel like the other material – more course and stuff. Then it dawned on him. Focusing on his hand and the string, he forced some chakra into the string. It glowed and heated slightly. The stitching that created the hidden pocket began to burn a bit. He pulled on the chakra string, it released and broke away from the pocket and freed the object held within.

It fell loss onto her exposed skin. The blond signed in relief as he grabbed the object. So focused, he didn't notice that he had exposed most of Hinata's pelvis giving him an unrestricted view of her panties and the treasure

"Haaa! Got you. You little pain in the ass." He said to the inanimate object. He studied it carefully and could see it appeared to be a small folding knife with a mother-of-pearl handle. "Wow, I wasn't expecting something so classic and sexy." He didn't realize the last word until he said it, "uhh, sorry." He raised his right arm out of habit when he was embarrassed, to rub the back of his head, but the realization that he no longer had a right hand struck him - painfully.

Holding onto the knife he looked at it carefully and found the top of the blade – it had to be pulled out by hand. But he only had one hand.

"Well fuck. How the hell do I open this thing?" He asked rhetorically.

Only one idea came to mind; he grabbed the top of the blade with his teeth and pulled it free. The blade released and opened easily once he got it moving and it fully extended into position with a _pop_ of the blade lock. There was something else on the knife. The scent of Hinata's body was potent and wafted off of the tool, and it assaulted his olfactory nerve. He let it linger, and absentmindedly memorizing every note of her scent. It might have been a shameful thing to do, but he couldn't help his baser urges.

" _Ero-sensei would be bouncing off the walls if he saw me right now. And my mom would probably bounce me off the walls if she saw me."_

" _ **She most certainly would have kit."**_ The fox spoke softly. He too missed the hot tempted red-headed Uzumaki.

Glancing over to Hinata once again, he realized that her pants were open still. He had neglected to put them back in his excitement over the knife. But he did let his eyes linger over her exposed skin. Her shirt was pulled up slightly, allowing him to see her toned but undefined stomach. She wasn't fat in any way, but she wasn't skin and bones – she was a healthy young woman.

Further down, her panties were simple dark blue with a coral colored trim at the top and around the legs. The color seemed darker toward the bottom, but he wouldn't let himself linger too long. He also noticed the outline of her femininity; it seemed to call out to him, like a siren to a sailor – he was a young man after all. With a small measure of reluctance, Naruto fixed Hinata's clothes back to their previous state.

The ropes were dense and robust, and Naruto had to work hard at cutting through them. After a few minutes, Hinata's arms and legs were free from their bindings. They left red ligature marks on her usually pale skin. Naruto rubbed the areas; he didn't know any medical-jutsu but hopped that rubbing the marred skin would help to get the blood flowing.

Naruto finished massaging the areas that were irritated with the ropes, and only time would heal them fully. He also removed the chakra suppression seal and could instantly feel the change in Hinata's chakra flow. Now it was a matter of time until she would wake up. The thought of changing her clothes had crossed his mind but, he decided against it – she had been fondled enough for one day.

The cave was starting to get cold, and he wanted to protect her from the cold mountain night. The blond-haired shinobi remembered a supply kit and then nearly kicked himself since there might have been a spare knife in it as well. He lifted his shirt and touching a tattooed seal on his left after a moment a cloth bag appeared. The kit contained a change of clothes, blankets, field rations, and some other essentials. Within a few moments, Hinata was wrapped into a blanket, and he also used some of his clothes as a make-shift pillow.

With Hinata freed from her bindings and secured in a blanket, Naruto looked out of the west-facing cave entrance. The sun had dipped behind the horizon, and the one-armed man knew he needed to start a fire for the night. Typically, he would have made a few clones to gather wood, but without a right hand, that would be impossible.

Reluctantly he knew what was needed, but before setting out to look for some firewood, Naruto attempted to write a note to Hinata if she woke up while he was away. But he found that just like making a clone, writing would be impossible. His handwriting was horrible with his right hand; his left made things completely illegible.

Kneeling next to Hinata, Naruto looked at her longingly, feeling a mixture of emotions. There was something that he had never felt for anyone, it caused a knot in his chest, and his stomach was churning. The thought of leaving her unprotected was excruciating, the further realization about how much he relied upon his clones was somewhat crushing. Self-dough crept in, _"am I really that dependent on them?"_

"Hinata, I know you can't hear me." He let a light chuckle out, "or maybe you can. I don't know." He brushed a few stray strands of hair off of her face. His fingertips lingered on her cheek, and his face flushed brightly.

"Please wake up soon. We have a few things to talk about." He paused before speaking again.

"You may end up hating me. I hope you don't but if you do."

Turning away, but remained the same spot, his only hand resting in his lap. "I did everything to protect you, and I would do it again."

With those words, the blonde-haired man disappeared from the cave. The only thing left was a Hiraishin Kunai that was lying next to her – it was the only message he could leave.

A few moments after Naruto departed, a faint whisper escaped the sleeping woman's lips. "Naruto-kun."

* * *

 **Author's Notes:** Well there you have it my loyal readers. I really appreciate everyone's support, patience and time reading my stories. I will say that the couple of fight scenes were some of my first attempts. It is not a focus of the story and I didn't want to get into a long drawn out event, there are some authors who can write a fight scene well - I don't place myself in their class. Nonetheless, I hope everyone has enjoyed this chapter and I invite constructive and meaningful feedback. Also, as always, I have say thank you to my discord friends in the "Writer's Block" - Darkwing83, Tallman0029 & Ponchoninjax3.

One last item before closing: The title of this chapter happens to be one of my favorite songs, its pretty recent, but it totally worth checking it out.

Catch everyone on the flip side.


	5. Repercussions

Chapter 5 - Repercussions

Thank you all for returning and those who may be new, welcome. I do hope you enjoy the latest chapter. I don't own the Intellectual Property of the characters, but the story is my own.

**Someone pointed out an issue with an honorific, I can admit to an error and corrected it.**

* * *

Consequences. Consequences are the results of actions. Actions are the results of decisions.

A young man, Uzumaki Naruto, had nothing but time to reflect on his decisions and the consequences that would likely come to pass. However, his choices don't just affect him; they were likely to distress someone else. The problem that the young Uzumaki had been struggling with was the fact that the other person was an innocent bystander to the whole situation. She might suffer significant repercussions for his actions, but he intended to take all the blame and punishment.

Hyūga Hinata remains in the same place and position he left her a few hours ago. The same position he left her the evening before and the evening before the previous. Each time he would set out to find food, firewood or to get out of the cave that felt like it had gotten smaller each time he walked into it.

The dark slate colored walls were jagged as they transitioned into the ceiling that was maybe three meters taller than he was but only in a few spots. Most of the time, he had to crouch to get things out of the storage crates in the back of the cavern. The stone was glossy with moisture that never subsided; it made any cloth or clothing feel wet and uncomfortable. He needed a shower, a shave and a change of clothes, he hoped that Hinata wasn't going to get sick. The only thing he could do was keep the fire going and make sure she was near it.

The sun had risen five-times and would hopefully do so again in a few hours, but that brought little soloes to the young Uzumaki as he recalled everything that had occurred since he woke up in the hospital. The wound that that was the reminder of his lost right hand had healed to a blunt tip, Kurama had forced the healing process since Naruto wasn't getting medicine and needed to be able to focus on keeping himself and Hinata safe.

Guilt had been hanging over Naruto like an angry storm cloud. He didn't want Hinata harmed or forced to do anything she didn't want to take her away from her family either. To compound his self-dough and regret, Hinata had not moved or stirred in the slightest.

" _Did I cause this? Is she asleep because I didn't remove the seal correctly?"_ He inwardly spoke to no one in particular.

" _ **I told you before; you didn't do anything wrong. There's nothing more you can do. The seal caused disruptions to her chakra network. It's going to take time for her to heal."**_

" _I know. I know. I just want to know that she will be alright."_

" _ **She's young and strong. Don't worry; she will be awake soon. You need to focus and worry more about what's going to happen next."**_

" _Next?"_

" _ **Do you think that breaking into the Hyūga clan compound, assaulting the clan elders and pinning her father to the floor like a child won't have repercussions?"**_

The demon spoke the truth, and he knew that he was going to have to face some hard questions and could have jeopardized his chances of becoming Hokage. That thought bounced around the blond's head, what would he do if he could not be the village leader or a Shinobi. Along with what Hinata would face as a result of his actions. Over the hours of thinking, one answer kept rising to the surface amid the turmoil.

" _She's worth it."_

/***\\\

A trio of figures stood in a small clearing; the only light that dimly illuminated them was the moon that was dropping toward the horizon. Each wore a mask and bore the mark of the Anbu on their right bicep.

"Anything?" Bear spoke to the others.

"Nothing." Bird said.

"Same here, not even a campfire." A woman with long purple hair who wore a cat mask said.

Bear didn't say anything, but inside he was fuming over how quickly the young blond dispatched him in front of his clansmen. How easily the clan head had been beaten and man-handled. The thing that angered Bear, Koga, the worst was the kidnapping of the former heiress. He had plans for her. Once she was sealed and a member of the branch, he would act, but his aspirations were at the moment on hold for the moment.

"I can't imagine he made it up into the mountains. It is so rugged and difficult to navigate." Bird spoke, breaking Bear from his thoughts.

"But where else could they be? All the witnesses said they saw Naruto heading in this direction." Cat retorted.

"That boy is smart and experienced he could have changed direction or created clones to throw us off his trail."

"You are giving HIM too much credit. He only got lucky when I fought him and what he did during the war. He only survived because Neji threw his life away." Bear spoke with anger and disdain in his voice. "We will continue up to the mountains and do our job until ordered otherwise."

The others didn't bother arguing, knowing their duty was clear. They just nodded and disappeared with only a few leaves left in their former place.

" _I am going to find you Uzumaki and make you pay."_ Bear clenched his fists, reliving his humiliation. _"Then I'm going to make Hinata mine after your locked away as Danzo-sama had intended."_

The man took off toward the base of the mountain, anger, hate, and furry fueled him as he plunged into the darkness.

/***\\\

"What are you doing to find that demon!" A Hyūga elder growled while standing in the Hokage's office flanked by another elder and the clan head.

Kakashi sat behind his desk with his fingers laced together leaning forward, listening to the ranting of the top three Hyūga. The men had taken turns demanding, threatening, and generally making asses of themselves with their arrogance and self-appointed importance. He was not a politician, nor did he aspire to be one, but he was also not a pushover and just about lost his patience.

"As I have already told you. There are teams of Anbu and others who are attempting to locate them. Once located, they will return to the village, and we will sort this matter out completely."

"You will place that menace under arrest and lock him away for crimes against the Hyūga clan. We demand he be turned over to us for punishment since it was our heiress who was kidnapped." The second elder spoke with smugness; his demeanor was that of a man who felt like the whole conversation was a waste of time.

"I have heard your request, and again, the answer is NO." Kakashi's voice showed his annoyance even in his usual tone. "You are free to submit charges and request recompense on behalf of your clan. But no clan is going to hold a Drum Head trial."

"How dare you!" The first man who roared, "you a man whose father…"

But his words were cut off suddenly when he felt the blade of a kunai pressed against his throat by an Anbu agent.

"I suggest you chose your next words carefully, Hyūga-san. As they might be your last." There was a pause. "Such tone and attitudes toward the leader of the village we all serve are not welcome." The voice of the female Anbu was cold and smooth.

"I think emotions are running a bit high, and we all want the same thing." Hiashi stepped in, ignoring the elder. "I, for one, want my eldest daughter back safe, along with an explanation as to Uzumaki-san's actions."

"I agree with you, Hiashi, and I am not going to overlook what happened. But I know Naruto well, and he would not have done what he did without cause or reason."

"Your relationship with the boy makes you incapable of being impartial in this matter, and we are the victims in the matter. I demand a neutral party to review the whole incident." The second elder spoke again since the first still had a blade to his neck.

"Denied," Kakashi spoke in a tone that left no room for question. "I understand your point. The T&I division will be involved and IF charges are deemed appropriate by Ibiki and his team. Then, and only then will we worry about disciplinary actions."

"Now, if you are done." His words were more of a statement as opposed to a question. "I have another meeting scheduled."

The three men knew they had overstayed their welcome and needed to leave.

As the men walked through the office door, Kakashi spoke up. "Hiashi, I am sure you instructed your clansmen that if they find Naruto or Hinata, they are not to take any hostile actions. Especially toward Naruto, he is presumed innocent." There was a pregnant pause, "make sure they understand that fact. If they don't, I will make sure they understand it."

Turning his chair around; Kakashi looked out the large window over the village. "What am I going to do with you, Naruto?" He said to no one in particular as he wrestled with his feelings about his former student.

/***\\\

The smell of charred wood hung in the air of the damp cave. Naruto's blue eyes pierced the darkness as he watched over Hinata. Refusing to let himself sleep, partly because he had been sleeping for weeks in the hospital. Mostly he was trying to atone – in his own mind - for turning her life upside down.

"Hinata," the blond spoke to the bluenette, as he had frequently been doing over the last few days. He hoped it would wake her up, or at least she might hear him apologize to her. But he didn't touch her, not after what he had to do in order to retrieve the hidden knife. Compounding his guilt was the discovery of a blade in his emergency pack; it was something else to apologize.

"Are you cold? I can get some more wood to build another fire." He paused, "but you gotta tell me. Ya know? I can't read your mind." He let out a small chuckle at the weak attempt of being funny.

A stiff breeze blew into the cave that moved a few stands of midnight blue hair onto her face. Naruto was quick to brush them aside; his fingers were moving over her forehead. His fingertips lingered on her skin after moving the rogue strands. As he stared in a near trance, he traced down the side of her left cheek. He didn't realize that he was gently creasing the smooth pale skin of her face. Despite the natural lack of pigmentation in her skin, she was so warm, and her scent was something he found was addicting and couldn't get enough.

Shuttering slightly when he realized what was happening, Naruto stood quickly and took a few steps toward the cave entrance. "I'll be back in a little while – nature calls, ya know." The blond stretched his stiff back and drank in her form before walking outside of the cave without another word.

/***\\\

Being a seasoned and experienced Shinobi, Naruto knew how to take care of business, without compromising or giving away the location of his camp to wildlife or potential enemies. Naruto was about five minutes away for the cave, but bodily functions were not his only reason for being so far away. Stepping out from behind a large bush, he stood near a large tree with a small clearing, but the tree provided enough coverage to conceal himself from anyone who might fly over the area.

He knew that he couldn't stay away for much longer and probably was in a world of trouble already. Usually, he would have sent a clone to report back to his former Sensei, but the lack of a right arm prevented that option, suddenly an idea struck him.

The Jinjuriki bit his left thumb, drawing some blood and then pressing his palm flat to the ground. "Summoning Jutsu," he called quietly. Only pushing a small amount of chakra to his hand, a little red toad with a yellow strip down its back appeared in the middle of a cloud of smoke.

"Hello," the toad greeted.

"Hey, thanks for coming. I need a hand."

"Well, that's obvious." The amphibian pointed to Naruto's right side.

Not realizing his words and becoming instantly annoyed with the creature. Add to that, Karama snickering didn't help either.

"Not fucking funny."

"Alright, what do you need Naruto-san?"

"I need to get a message to Kakashi-sensei."

"Alright, I can take a message, do you have it written?"

"I can't write with my left hand. Do you think you could memorize a short message?"

The toad sighed but agreed to relay a message.

After a few minutes, a quick message was decided and on its way to the Hokage.

"I hope that helps, and he understands." And with those words, the toad disappeared in a small puff of smoke.

/***\\\

An empty sake saucer fell back to the table, and more of the clear liquid shakenly poured to fill the sakazuki. A blond-haired woman with ponytails pitched her head back once more and gulped down the sake as if it was water.

The woman's cheeks were pink, and the blood vessels in her eyes were red. Three empty bottles lay on their side around the table, and forth was nearing empty. "That stupid fucking kid," she growled. "What was he fucking thinking, taking Hinata, and running out of the village with her."

"Tsunade-sama, please don't be so hard on him," Shizune pleaded to her longtime friend and mentor. "You know he wouldn't have done anything without a reason." While collecting the empty bottles, the young woman also took the partially full container from her mistress's hand.

But the older woman would not stand for such behavior and snatched it back. The drunken woman tipped the bottle to her lips and guzzled the remaining rice-wine in a gulp. She slammed the bottle down with enough force to crack the porcelain on the wood table top.

"MORE SAKEEEE!"

"No. Please, Tsunade-sama, we need to go home. There is a meeting tomorrow morning about this situation, and you can't be hung-over or drunk."

"Why?! It doesn't matter those fucking Hyūga are going to be fucking fucks!" The former Hokage's words were loud and slurred as she continued her drunken rant. "They won't let them be together. Not that the little baka would even understand that Hinata has feelings for him."

"Don't say that." Shizune helped the drunken woman to her feet and tried to guide her to the door – a skill she had developed over many years. "We need to make sure they don't try to get Naruto declared a missing-shinobi or some type of criminal."

"I'll break the sticks that are up their asses, while they are still inserted," Tsunade yelled loudly as the pair staggered out in the dark street.

/***\\\

Hyūga Hanabi had been worried about her older sister since she heard about the incident involving the village war hero stealing her sister. Unlike most of the members of her family, she did not believe that Naruto kidnapped Hinata for malicious reasons. A sentiment shared by her longtime caretaker, Hyūga Ko. A man who was more of a father to her and Hinata in many ways then Hiashi.

"Comm'on Ko, let go look for onee-chan."

"Hanabi-sama, you know we cannot leave without permission." The older man explained patiently to the young girl.

"I don't care what those old farts say. Their stupid and I don't want Koga or anyone else to hurt onee-chan or Naruto." She paused, and then her expression changed slightly, "unless he hurt my sister, then they can kill him."

"Hanabi," the man was slightly bothered by the girl's comment. "Don't talk like that. Naruto may have been a trouble maker when he was younger. But he has proven himself a capable Shinobi and an honorable man."

"You're right, and Hinata-onee loves him, so she won't let anyone hurt him."

Ko didn't say anything more, as he was well aware of Hinata's feelings for the Jinjuriki.

The pair walked in silence to one of the family training grounds for some early morning Juken training, something that was daily occurrence since Hanabi became a Genin. After that, Hanabi would have breakfast and then meat her team for more training and missions.

Before they began, Ko made a final comment on the subject of the incident. "Hanabi-sama, I know you are concerned, as am I, but we must have faith that Hokage-sama will work things out. There are plenty of people here in the village and other villages that will not allow unfair punishment or harm to befall Hinata-sama or Uzumaki-san."

The brown-haired girl opened her mouth to respond but didn't get the chance as Ko began throwing strikes at her – morning training had started without question.

After her family training and breakfast, Hanabi was walking to her team training ground, but she kept thinking on her sister's safety. Her eyes were open, but her feet were on auto-pilot, she didn't notice anyone walking by on the street. She did take a moment to stop by Hinata's favorite bakery and order a cinnamon bun. The pastry was not one of her favorite treats, but her subconscious took her to the little shop.

Sitting outside of the storefront, the young Hyuuga tried the bun. It was still warm, and the icing ran down her fingers and off her lips.

"How does she do this every morning." The girl complained to herself as she tried to keep the mess to a minimum, "she probably just snarfs the whole thing down in one bite."

A mental image of her sister as a Chibi appeared as the adorable creature devoured a mountain of cinnamon buns within a few seconds. Its belly distended, licking off of the plate and belching in satisfaction.

The mental image of her sister made Hanabi giggle to herself, but then the reality of things hit her, and she became sad again. However, something caught her eye. It wasn't a thing; it was a person - the Hokage. She quickly stood and ran off, leaving her empty bag and some crumbled up napkins on the bench where she had been sitting.

Catching up to the man, she yelled, "Hokage-sama."

The man stopped and turned around to recognize the young girl running toward him.

"Hello, Hanabi." He greeted in his normal even tone, "how are you this morning?"

"I want to go out and look for my sister." The girl was blunt and didn't have a problem with telling people what she wanted. It was a bad habit, but she showed no sign of changing for anyone.

"I'm sure you do, but I can't allow that. You're ….."

"Don't you say I'm too young or I'm not ready!" The girl interrupted and raised her voice.

Kakashi didn't flinch but did give her a look that silently told her, _'watch your tone little girl.'_

Hanabi got the message instantly and changed her demeanor, "I'm sorry. I'm just worried about my sister." The girl looked at her feet.

Kakashi smiled a little bit under his mask as he knelt down and put a hand on her right shoulder. "I understand Hanabi, and I wasn't going to say, 'you were too young or wasn't ready.' He paused a moment as the girl looked him in the eye, "I was going to say your team was going to be assigned a mission to fill in for some of the older Shinobi who are searching for them."

"That's not fair," the girl stomped her foot like a spoiled five-year-old.

The Hokage squeezed the young kunoichi's shoulder slightly to get her attention. "If you would stop talking and listen," the girl was defiantly a Hyūga and trying his patience. "This is an important mission that many of the Genini teams are being assigned. It will help to find your sister but allowing more experienced and specialized teams to leave the village. Shino and Kiba have been out for the last six day, you know both of them and know they won't stop."

The Hokage's words didn't give much soleus, but the girl could see his point. While it was not what she wanted, she was smart enough to see his position and not to piss him off.

The man stood, "well, I have a meeting to attend. I suggest you get to your team for training and missions." Kakashi turned to walk away.

"Thank you, Hokage-sama."

The silver-haired just waived his hand and said, "I told your sister, 'stop with the sama.'"

The girl smiled as she ran toward the training grounds, with the realization that Kakashi was right; it was her way to help find her sister.

/***\\\

The day dragged on, and nothing felt like it was moving forward. Both Naruto and Hinata had become stuck in time – whether she knew it. The idle time was contrary to his nature, but despite the pain, his chivalrous nature kept him in check. It caused him not to go out and do anything except watch over the pale-skinned madden. The quiet became deafening at times and his mind that was so accustomed to being focused on war, saving his friend, and working toward earning the position of Hokage.

However, the young man found himself feeling drastically less concerned about any of those things. Not to say he forgot about them or didn't care about what he had defined and identified himself within for many years. Everything up to the present had been a situation created by other people or events outside of his hands. His current predicament was different; created by his hand, actions that were wholly his, and he had to own up to them.

Naruto found himself uncharacteristically unsettled, and his self-confidence waned with the same questions repeating in an almost regular pattern. The only thing that seemed to soothe the turmoil was Hinata's sleeping form. Over the hours of silence, he studied her, from the tip of her nose to the curves of her body and her near inaudible breath that had not changed or stuttered.

"What have I done Hinata?" He desperately wanted to talk to her, "did I make the right decision?"

As usual, he got no reply.

" _ **You did what you thought was right. That's something you have always done. Don't doubt those instances as they have obviously served you well."**_ The fox demon finally decided to step in.

" _You make it sound like I'm some noble sage or wise man."_

" _ **You are not a 'wise man', but you are a good man who cares for his friends and even complete strangers. That is a noble trait."**_

Unfortunately, the demon's words were of little solace, but the blond knew they were genuine as they always have been. Despite their rocky start and the fights or arguments, they had reached an understanding and a level of trust akin to family.

" _ **Don't worry, despite all of the saber rattlings, yelling and screaming that the Hyūga's are likely directing toward that silver-haired pervert, you call 'sensei.' He or anyone else around the world will allow anything serious to happen to you."**_

" _I don't know about that, what do I matter to the world?"_

" _ **You really are stupid!"**_ The fox growled, _**"did you forget about the war, saving the world or the fight with that insufferable Uchiha?"**_

" _No, I have not." He looked at the stump that was all that remained of his right arm._

" _ **You are too good sometimes, and it pisses me off to watch people take advantage of you, but it is what makes people what to follow you. That is an important quality of a leader. Your father had it and even your mother despite her volatile personality."**_

Naruto didn't have an answer or anything else to say and repositioned himself into a lotus style sitting position. He found meditating helped in times of uncertainty, plus he would be able to check the area to make sure their hiding spot would remain hidden. It was the next best thing to sleep.

/***\\\

The void of silence and nothingness faded. The feeling of dampness and cooler temperatures presented themselves nearly instantly, along with a dim peach-colored light. It was the feeling just before waking up from a long and deep sleep. The world around comes back, along with a flood of memories, as well.

Hinata noticed a pressure all around, moving into the waking world. Suddenly she sat up while fighting and panicked by the tightness of the blankets around her body. But her body remembered the restraints and it flared to be free. A spike of adrenaline flooded through her veins and, her heart rate soared as she let out a small yelp. The blankets flew as her arms became free.

Wide-eyed, she looked around and realized she was in a cave which alarmed her more until she looked to her right. There next to her was Naruto, his golden blond hair showed through the darkness. His eyes were closed, but orange marks were present around them, and his body position told her that he had entered his sage mode while meditating.

Her mind would not accept what her eyes were saying. "This has to be a trick. A Genjutsu. A dream… It just can't be real." Quickly she forced chakra to dispel any illusions that might be in effect, but nothing happened.

Hesitantly, the young woman leaned toward the figure that looked similar to a blond-haired, one-armed Buda. A delicate trembling finger touched his shirt and pulled back when the feeling of the soft fabric registered.

"Naruto-kun?" She spoke out loud in a quiet and questioning way, but there wasn't any reaction.

Steeling her nerves, she finished detangling herself from the blankets and knelt, sitting on her heels at nearly eye level with her crush. Something told her that there was no illusion, and everything was real. "Naruto-kun?" She poked him in his right peck but again received no reaction. Similar to how he acted in the hospital room.

A few moments passed, and she poked him a few more times in various places – his arm, his whisker marks, the end of his nose.

" _Well, something happened, and he woke up, and we ended up here. This is certainly not the main hall at home."_ Her mind was reeling with questions, and frustration was growing but was taken over by excitement to talk to the man whom she loved so profoundly finally.

"Sorry to wake you up this way, but I need answers, and you have been sleeping enough anyway." She said as her lips met his. It was a soft kiss, but she didn't pull away as she did in the hospital room and lingered. After a few moments, she felt a movement against her lips that pushed her back a bit — opening her eyes, a pair of orange eyes that with rectangular pupils looked back at her.

But what disturbed her and caused her to pull back, falling on her butt with a soft gasp in surprise. Part of Naruto's face had warped, taking on the shape of a toad.

"AHHH!" He cried out. "Ohhh, shit! Ohh Shit! Hit me with a Jūken strike. FAST!"

"What?" She couldn't understand why he was saying.

"Do it! NOW!" His words were desperate, and worried as his face continued to change and webbing developed between his fingers.

Hinata wasn't sure what was happening, but she could tell he was in trouble. Her Byakugan activated, and she noticed an enormous amount of green colored chakra flooding into the center of his body. She didn't have time to think and needed to act. She struck a point in his left shoulder with chakra concentrated toward her right middle and index fingers.

"Ahhh," he winced in pain and slumped over, but she could see that he was rapidly changing back, even if his face was nearly against the cave floor.

"Damn it, that hurts!"

She was ready to hit him again, but he sat up, and when his azure eyes met her gaze. She instantly knew he was alright and back to his normal state. Hinata knew he would be sore for a few days.

"That was close, but next time tell me if you're going to do that again."

His words gave her an idea, "Naruto-kun." She spoke in a low voice.

"Yeah, what's up Hinata." He said, leaning forward while moving his left arm, trying to work out the ache, "are you alright?"

"I'm going to do that again." With those words, the bluenette leaped forward, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressed her lips against his.

Both of their heart rates spiked in reaction to the moment.

To say he was surprised by Hinata's actions would be an understatement. Never in his wildest dreams would he expect someone like Hinata to kiss him. But, after a moment, he found that her soft lips against his and her strong embrace was welcoming and warm. Moving his left arm around her shoulder, Naruto quickly kissed her back. It was a soft, gentle kiss – as it was his first kiss with a girl. He wanted to make it memorable and last for as long as he could.

However, as pleasant as Hinata's lips were, a small voice pushed through the bliss of the moment and brought some of the guilt he had been feeling forward. It conjured the conversation and the ultimate outcome. But with their lips pressed together; he found that the idea of not being able to kiss her again agonizing.

Hinata was elated with herself for taking a moment to show the man whom she loved, just how she felt. She broke the kiss but placing kisses on his face that had a bit of a beard coming in. The kisses continued over his whisker marks, across his jaw and pulled him tightly into a hug with all her strength.

"I missed you so much," she whispered into his right ear. "You can't know how much I have been wanting to talk to you." Her words cracked a bit as tears started to fall in a mixture of emotion, as her fingers wandered through his blond hair.

Naruto held her tightly as her body trembled softly. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset or hurt you." He held her tight and place a kiss on her cheek. "Please stop crying. Your eyes are too beautiful to be sad like this."

The pair stayed embraced in silence as they settled into an unexpected level of comfort within the moment. Hinata was startling Naruto's lap, her breasts pressed against his broad chest, but neither seemed to notice or take issue with the closeness.

/***\\\

Time seemed to slow for the pair, but they knew the moment could not last forever, and with an enormous amount of reluctance, Hinata leaned back slightly. Looking him straight in the eyes, she gave him a small mischievous smile and kissed him again before pulling back again. Her fingers interlaced together behind his head, her thumbs gently rubbed back and forth through his hair.

"Hi," she spoke in a sweet voice.

They stared into each other's eyes.

"Hey," he responded, his left arm rested against her leg. He didn't know what was happening and had never known Hinata to act so boldly or aggressively. However, he found her actions welcomed and a complete turn-on. Evidence of which could be felt in his snug trousers, that he hoped the young woman would not notice.

Hinata did notice and with every shred of self-control to keep herself focused and not letting some of her more risqué ideas take over. Add to that; she had been asleep for what felt like a month and both her stomach and bladder work fighting for attention.

A rumbling sound broke the silence as Hinata's stomach won the fight, and her face turned a bright red. As Naruto gave a nervous smile, attempting not to laugh.

"I guess you're hungry," he gave his trademarked grin. "It makes sense, you have been asleep for nearly a week."

"A week!" Hinata was taken aback at the passage of time.

"Yeah, when I found you. You were…. Ummm." He hesitated and broke eye contact with her as the facts pushed away the intimate moment they were sharing. "Well, we will talk about that a bit later." He made no effort to move away from her but knew their moment would end very soon.

Hinata sensed his mood change and knew he was right. Questions were forming in her mind rapidly and as much as she wanted to stay in the moment but knew they would not be able. Breaking the silence, once again, "I don't know what happened that caused us to be here. I do know you rescued me again, and for that, I am grateful." She finished speaking as she pressed a hand to his stubbly chin to meet his view again. Taking his lips back, she kissed him for a few moments.

" _She keeps kissing me. Maybe she does like me_ that _way."_

" _ **Duhh. Moron."**_

" _Shut-it fox!"_

"As much as I am enjoying this moment. Especially since no one has ever been this close to me, at least without some medical jutsu being applied." He joked, trying to break a bit of tension.

"You're right, and I really have to pee." She didn't even realize what she said until her words registered. "I- I mean, I'm really hungry." She stammered and tried to backtrack, but it was too late.

The blond man laughed, shaking her gently in amusement of the normally reserved and poised young woman. "I don't ever remember hearing you saying anything like that." Snickering a little bit, "do you even know any swear-words?" His last question was genuine, but maybe a bit insulting.

Hinata gasped and puffed her cheeks in a bit of annoyance. His question told her that he thought of her as a polite and boring girl who didn't know how to get in trouble or have fun outside of the rules. While she had never painted the Hokage memorial or pull pranks on unsuspecting villagers, she did have a naughty side – didn't she?

Her thoughts drifted, and her face told Naruto that his words had got her thinking.

"Hey, don't over think it. If you don't, that's not a bad thing, you're a nice person, and nice people don't use that type of language."

"Naruto-kun." She kissed him briefly, "shut the _hell_ up."

He looked at her for a moment, before they burst out into a fit of laughter.

* * *

Well, that's it. I hope everyone is enjoying the story so far. I know, I am a bit slow on updates, but I believe in quality over quantity. Plus, I am taking a course over the summer that will take up time also. Well thank you all for reading, I do appreciate it and thanks to my friends in the Writer's Block for their help as well.

Just as a little bit of a tease, we will be taking a trip in this story and not back to the Leaf and I plan to have some fluffy and zesty goodness.

Please leave a review.


	6. An Unburdened Soul

**Chapter 6 – An Unburdened Soul**

Disclaimer: I don't the characters or the Intellectual Property, just the storyline.

* * *

Hinata basked in Naruto's warmth, her arms wrapped around his neck, she had the left side of her face pressed against his clavicle, listening to his strong heart. A faint smile across her lips.

" _This is what I've always wanted,"_ she thought to herself, snuggling a bit more and letting out a happy sigh.

Naruto, on the other hand, found himself floating in a sea of conflict and uncertainty, while he was enjoying the closeness of someone and Hinata's scent was assaulting his olfactory nerve constantly; not that he was complaining about it. Sure, she was a bit ripe after 5-days, but it didn't matter for some reason he still couldn't get enough of her. As much as he enjoyed the closeness and her warm touch, he couldn't help at questioning the whole situation. Why was she acting like this, why did she kiss him, why was she now sitting on his lap? Adding to his concerns was the incident with her family days ago. He didn't want their moment to end; he was sure that she would become angry, maybe even hate him when she learns about everything that had happened. A quick notion about not telling her anything popped to mind, but his own sense of right-and-wrong would not allow such a lie. Plus, when they returned to the village, she would learn the truth and would compound the lie further.

For some reason, he cared about what she thought over all others. He wanted to make her happy, protected, and safe, but he also knew she was strong enough to take care of herself – Hinata was indeed the perfect woman.

"Umm… Hinata?"

"Hhhhmmm." Was all he received in response as she rubbed her face against his chest and squeezed him.

Naruto let out a little chuckle, "As much as I'm enjoying this, we can't stay here forever."

"Yes, we can." She purred back playfully with no sign of moving.

He hugged her a bit, and they remained silent for another few moments. Beside the swirling feelings, Hinata's closeness was eliciting some other sentiments that were much more primal. Her position let him feel her large breasts that were pressed against his chest, and when she moved, his rock-hard member would feel everything. None of those things were necessarily bad, and he was enjoying them, but it also added to his guilt.

" _I can't enjoy all of this, not like this. I have to make everything right between us. I just hope she will at least talk to me afterward."_ Was one of the many thoughts that swirled around in the young man's mind.

What Naruto didn't realize was Hinata's presence had some effects, not just from a physical standpoint; but she was breaking down his walls – the mask he showed the world. It took him by surprise, and once he realized it was happening, it was alright and would be able to let it all go; he didn't have to be strong at the moment. She was safe, she was kind, she would never hurt him. He wanted to it together, but there it was impossible, and deep down, he knew it. He also knew it was okay to let it all out.

Hinata felt a trembling sensation coming from Naruto along with warm wetness in her hair and over her cheek. She pulled away and found something she was not prepared for – tears. He was crying not just a single droplet, but a waterfall. His face was red, eyes clenched tightly shut, nose running, frowning pursed lips, it was something she had never seen. Naruto's emotional cup that had been kept balanced for so many years had cracked and was rapidly crumbled into nothing. Releasing everything the blond had been holding inward for years in a flood of anguish, anger, sorrow, loneliness, and frustration. He let it all go.

Hinata took the tsunami of feelings head-on without a moment of hesitation.

The young woman within his arms was capable of so much, and apparently, she could also make the young man vulnerable like no others.

Her heart was filled with sorrow for him as she embraced the weeping blond. Hinata repositioned herself, so that she sat on the cave floor, moved him against her chest and wrapped her arms around him again. She knew he had to purge the upset and feelings, and all she could do was just be there for him. As painful as it was to only be able to sit there, she couldn't do anything else at the moment.

She rubbed his back, kissed his head, and waited patiently for him. He deserved that much for everything done to him over the years. Plus, she loved him, it didn't matter how long she had to wait. On occasion, he would mumble a few semi-coherent word or phrase, but she couldn't understand him and simply squeezed him tighter.

"I'm here for you Naruto-kun."

His voice cracked and broke, "Hinata…. I'm so… so sorry." He sobbed, "I'm sorry that I got you killed."

His words hit her like a hammer to the chest.

"W-what?" She couldn't understand and thought he might be delirious.

"You died when Nagito attacked. I felt it, I watched it. You died because of me. And I'm so sorry." He squeezed her tighter.

It was a painful memory, one that she tried not to think about, but it would come visit in her dreams.

"You didn't kill me," she spoke softly. "I fought to protect you as you had done for me so many times." She managed to get the words out before she cried with him. Her heart was aching for him. He had held onto that incident for so long without releasing the pain.

He sobbed harder and clung to her as if she would disappear if he let go, she did the same. Neither letting go of the other out a mutual fear of being alone.

After what seemed to be hours, when it had only been about twenty minutes of an emotional purge. Hinata was the first to speak, "I meant every word I said to you."

"I know you did, and that makes me a bigger ass." His grief was subsiding a little bit. "You are so great and all, but I never noticed and probably hurt you for so many years. Even after you told me. Did I do anything about it?" His words were angry and directed to himself, "No. I didn't even say 'thank you.' I'm so sorry, Hinata." His left hand took hold of her hand, their fingers interlaced. "I'm really sorry… that's all I can say. Sorry."

Her heart was pounding, but she felt so badly for him. The guilt Naruto was holding in was immense, and his resolve to not let it be seen was incredible.

"You are a wonderful person Naruto-kun, you care about everyone, and I may have wished sometimes that you noticed me. But you are who you are and if things had of changed in the past. Then we would not be the people we are now." She kept herself composed only letting a few tears rolled down her cheeks into his blond hair.

Suddenly he moved and took hold of her lips in a desperate but passionate way. It was clumsy, rushed, with a touch of despair. He grabbed her shirt with his only hand, trying to hold her close. She could taste his tears, saliva, and all of the pain. It was a raw expression – primal, passionate, desperate, loving. It was certainly something she never expected, but she couldn't get enough.

As their kissing progressed, they started groping and pawing at one another, she pulled at his shirt. He didn't hesitate when his palm brushed over her breast, cupping its fullness. She gasped slightly as he squeezed and grabbed at his bicep.

"Ahh, Naruto-kun" she whispered into his mouth.

"Hinata…. Hinata…." He pushed her down to the floor, her legs on either side of his hips. He instinctually started to grind himself against her, and she did the same.

What started as an outpour of pain, transformed into an expression of passion but was heading into something more intense.

"I need you. Please, I need you to need me."

"I do need you. I have always needed you, Hinata."

His words touched her more deeply than any physical expression.

"Then take what you want." The bluenette was sincere in her words. "Make me yours and yours alone. I am for you, and you are for me." She was caught in the moment and wasn't thinking of anything else.

Naruto pressed himself against her hot mound, it was inviting, and he was ready to burry himself within her. He reached under her shirt and unabashedly touched her breast, rolling her nipple between his index and middle fingers as he squeezed her.

This was the first time someone touched her in such a personal way and the blond was the only person whom she would ever allow to touch her. Hinata felt Naruto hardness rubbing her just right and she was feeling very hot and wet in her most intimate area.

As much quickly as things were moving, and as much as Hinata was enjoying the close personal contact with Naruto. She suddenly felt a new sensation and knew exactly what was happening and tried desperately to control herself.

Naruto couldn't help himself and could feel himself getting too excited and was working himself toward an _expression_ of his excitement. The feeling was knocking out the reasoning side of things, he needed to let go.

"Uhhh… ummm, Naru…to.." She felt a tightening in her loins and knew he was getting her close, but she was very close to something else that would be embarrassing.

His pace increased; more pressure applied.

"Ahhh, Naruto… I need… ahhh…" She didn't want to him to stop but she needed him to, she didn't want to, "I.. I have to.. p.."

Her words were cut off as he started to grunt and rub her faster, and she felt a warm wetness against her pants.

"I'm.. I'm sorry Hinnaaa… It feels so good." His voice grunted as he moved

That was it, that was all she needed to hear as a massive orgasm crashed into her. She started to shake, and her hands clamped onto him. But she couldn't hold back her bladder. The orgasm caused her body to let go and her contorted face showed an expression of relief.

Naruto for his part knew that he had let go but also felt a huge amount of liquid from Hinata – it was hot and formed a pool under their bodies. He looked at her face, eyes clenched closed, lips parted as he panted heavily.

" _Did Hinata just pee on me?"_ The thought was funny, but he knew she would feel embarrassed and he knew he couldn't say anything about. Naruto didn't feel any anger or upset – it was an accident and was probably his fault anyway.

"I'm sorry." Hinata's face was red and she was getting ready to cry.

Naruto hushed her, "don't worry about it. Things happen, it's probably my fault anyway." He stood up; his pants were soaked with fluids from both of them. He looked down at Hinata, she was a hot mess, hair flung everywhere, her left breast was exposed, her crotch was soaked like his and a pool of liquid under her butt.

He helped her up and hugged her close. "It was an accident and it will stay between us always. Okay?"

She nodded silently before giving him a kiss on the cheek. It was a silent agreement between the two that nothing more needed to be said on the matter.

"Wait here a moment."

After a few minutes, Naruto and Hinata were standing by the cave entrance, he had handed her a bundle of clean cloths and toiletries. "There is a stream a few minutes' from here, you can clean up and all. After all, you were out for 5-days."

"5-days? Really?"

"Yeah, let's get cleaned up and we can talk about it and everything else. Alright?"

She didn't reply.

The sun was about a third of the way toward the horizon – it would be dark in a few hours. Hinata was feeling stiff atrophy but she held looped her arm through Naruto's for support as he walked with her for a few steps. After they go a little bit out of the cave she was feeling more steady and moved easier.

"Do you think you can manage to find the stream? It's straight-ahead, past that hill." He pointed with the remains of his right arm.

"Yes, I think I can manage it now." She didn't look at him and was still feeling quite humiliated.

"Alright. I don't think anyone is around." He almost continued and then thought, _"she doesn't need me to tell her to be careful."_ He released her a bit hesitantly.

Hinata felt herself sway slightly side-to-side as Naruto's support left her body, but she steadied herself and looked at him finally. "Thank you, Naruto-kun."

With that, she slowly started to walk forward under her own power.

The blond warrior watched the young woman until she disappeared behind the hill. One she was gone, he turned back to the cave to change and clean himself up, as well as, the cave.

/***\

A sense of hesitation and shyness had overwhelmed Hinata as soon as the cave came into view. She slowly, moved closer to the cave, while clutching the bundle of soiled clothes, she peered into the cavern and saw Naruto's silhouette moving around. He looked to be clean up the makeshift fire pit – attempting too – along with the sleeping bags. She did notice he wasn't wearing a shirt; providing an opportunity to admire his toned and tanned skin. Scars and healed wounds marred his body; each one a badge of honor from years training and countless battles. It gave him a very rugged yet regal look that she had only gotten to see a few times over the years.

" _He's so handsome."_ Her eyes wandered as her inner goddess practically drooled and wanted to ride him like a wild horse.

Naruto heard footsteps in the loss pebbles and gravel outside of the cave. He knew it was Hinata, having recognized her scent mixed with shampoo and soap. Turning around, she stood at the entrance while the sun drenching her in light. The young woman practically glowed as she stood wearing his clothes; the bright red shorts looked more like a pair of Capri on her smaller frame. However, his eyes did notice that her bustline filled out the black shirt very nicely. He realized he was staring, and she might think he was a perv, shaking his head; he went back to cleaning.

Hinata walked into the cavern, attempting to hide the bundle of clothes that she been wearing previously. She was in full 'commando' mode as her team-mate, Kiba, would say and was feeling very self-conscious but excited at the same time.

As she walked by him – trying to be discreet about her clothes. Naruto noticed the dark blue panties that he had seen previously were hanging out of the middle of the bundle. The memory of the Hyūga heiress's intimate scent came forth, when he caught a whiff of her natural fragrance that was quite strong. He could feel the heat rush to his cheeks and headed south of his beltline.

"Umm, Naruto-kun."

Hinata's voice shook him from his daydreaming.

"Ohh, ahh, yeah. What's up Hinata-chan?" He answers while attempting to rub the back of his neck out of habit only to be reminded he didn't have a right hand.

" _Did he just use 'chan' with me?"_ This was the first time he had ever used the term with her. It made her feel giddy with joy, to her it was a sign of their closeness.

Giggling slightly at the incredulous face the blond made, but it fell away quickly. _"With everything that happened, I guess he hasn't had to really deal with the lack of a right hand."_

"Never mind, it's not important at the moment," Hinata said as she put the pile of clothes down.

She turned around and stepped toward Naruto; who was kneeling next to the fire pit trying to clean out the burnt ash. The pair worked together, silently falling into a pattern of getting the area cleared and ready for the evening that was approaching quickly. Both were full of thoughts and questions but held them for later.

Hinata learned a few things about Naruto in performing their mundane tasks. A few times, she could hear him grunt or sound irritated when he tried to do something when the lack of a right hand caused him problems. She didn't want to be patronizing by taking over whatever he was attempting to do. At the same time, she didn't want him to think she was trying to embarrass him or make him look foolish.

For his part, he was an independent person in general. He had to learn to be self-sufficient from a very young age and having to potentially rely on someone else was frustrating, humiliating, and scary. He didn't like having to ask for help or burdening others with his problems. Sure, they burdened him, but he had come to accept and embrace that role in the universe – not the other way around.

Hinata reached over to a makeshift dustpan that had fashioned out of somewhat that looked to be old scroll material. It would move around every time Naruto would try to sweep the ashes onto it and was making more of a mess than anything.

"Here, I'll push toward your brush as you push toward the pan. We can catch more ash, and it won't move around." She said sweetly without looking at him. The brush she referred too was nothing more than part of a broom head that had seen better days.

Naruto looked at her for a long moment without moving.

She looked up at him and gave him a small smile, "come on, I'm hungry."

He snickered, and they worked together to finish cleaning. Well, as much as, one can clean a cave.

/***\

After finishing their chores, they stood near the cave entrance and admired their work. The time seemed to go by fast, and both of their stomachs were growling for dinner. Initially, Hinata was embarrassed, but after hearing Naruto's a few times, it became apparent that they were both comfortable with each other. They were, of course, nervous, and there were a few moments that one was unsure about the other, but a kind smile or gesture alleviated the tension.

Despite the tranquil calm on the surface, Naruto was still terrified about the inevitable conversation and was repeating what to say, in an attempt to make sure nothing could be misunderstood. He found the amount of mental effort being put forth was enormous and questioned why he was so worried.

"I'm glad you were here; it would have taken me forever with just one hand." The young man was being genuine and had no problems admitting he needed help from his former classmate.

She gave him a smile at the comment, "it's no problem. Is there any food stock to make something to eat?"

"I was actually going to set some traps now that we are done in here."

"Alright, but we need something other than meat, do you know if there are any wild vegetables or herbs nearby?"

He watched as she spoke and brushed off some grime from her hands. Her breasts swayed slightly, something he had noticed almost instantly when she walked in from the river initially. The blond had tried to not stare but could not resist. He would surreptitiously sneak a look down the loose-fitting shirt. He couldn't see all of her breasts but certainly got a pleasing view; of course, he thought she wasn't looking.

Hinata, however, was aware of Naruto's wandering eyes. Being very body-conscious and having developed early, she became aware of when men and some women would 'check her out,' but she didn't mind him doing it.

"I think there might be some around. Do you want to come with me? It sounds like you know what you're looking for. Ya know."

She nodded and stayed calm on the outside but was ecstatic internally that he asked her to come out and hunt. Sure, she had trapped previously, but this was a chance to spend time with Naruto, and that's what mattered most.

Before Hinata could respond to the question, Naruto handed her a kunai and motioned to follow him out of the cave.

/***\

The two shinobi moved into the forest; years of training kicking in automatically causing them to move around silently. Stopping on occasion to set and bait traps for wild game. Neither liked doing so but would always pay respect to the animal for its sacrifice.

Naruto was again a bit hesitant to ask Hinata for help with setting the traps. But he only had one hand – making knots was not a real possibility. Hinata didn't mind helping him, especially when their fingers would touch or brush together. They would feel a jolt of something between them. Their cheeks would flare with color.

A short time later, Hinata was showing Naruto how to identify eatable plants and roots. His attention was sometimes questionable, and she told him how different things would taste after cooking. But he would take a nibble of things raw, his expression would make her laugh, no matter how much she tried to remind him he still did it.

The sun was nearly behind the horizon, dusk had turned the sky a deep orange, and yellow and the stars were beginning to appear in the eastern. Animals and creatures were stirring for the night while others were hiding away until dawns first light.

After a short time of gathering provisions and cleaning a hare that had been captured in one of their traps, they disabled the other traps to prevent an animal from being caught by mistake.

"Alright, ready to start heading back… um." Naruto paused, "Home? I guess? I don't really like calling it a cave or shelter."

Hinata looked at him curiously but could not disagree with him, and she liked the idea of it being _their_ home – temporary as it was. It was still something they shared together.

/***\

Hinata sat near the fire, their dinner was meat coated in mashed up berries on skewers standing near the edge of the flames. Accompanied by some nuts and root vegetable that were safe to consume. It wasn't much or gourmet in any way, but it would be filling. Despite the lack of kitchen facilities, the young bluenette was enjoying herself and happy to be cooking for the man whom she loved.

"Dinner's ready Naruto-kun," Hinata called out to the blond who was outside of the cave checking some traps and alarms they had set for the evening.

"Alright Hinata-chan, give me a few minutes to go pee."

"Wait." Hinata stood and dashed out toward the mouth of the cave. "I'll go with you; I should go too before it gets too late."

"You want to pee with me?" He joked to her with a smart-aleck smirk.

Naruto thought about teasing her further but decided not to push his luck as it might not be a healthy decision. Hinata had never hit him like Sakura but didn't want to push his luck. He wasn't expecting the bluenette to come running and certainly didn't expect her to say such a thing. But he knew what she meant and chuckled at her when the words registered, and her face showed the realization.

She tried to hide her face, "I didn't.. didn't mean I w-was-s going to go with you. I have to go and. I only meant…" Her words stuttered and stammered.

Naruto laughed openly at her flustered state. Which only added to her frustration over the moment.

She simply turned around with a huff and started to walk away.

"Hey! I'm only joking!" Naruto called as he briskly walked to catch up to Hinata who was fast walking away. "I know what you meant, you're just so fun to tease and that face of yours is so cute."

When he caught up to her and put his only hand on her shoulder, she turned on her heel to face him. "You shouldn't tease a girl Naruto-kun. She might think you don't like her." She shot back with a finger in his chest. "You should defiantly not mess with the person who is cooking your food." She gave him a mischievous look.

"That's good advice. I'm sorry, and I appreciate you cooking dinner."

"Don't you forget it." Hinata jabbed Naruto in the chest with her finger and walked into the woods.

"Alright then, boys on the left. Girls on the right." Naruto said and walked toward some dense foliage.

/***\

It was the first time that either Naruto or Hinata could think that they had shared a meal together – alone. Dinner was a bit quiet, they would speak here and there about random topics or items, each dancing around the important subject that needed to be addressed but neither wanted to ruin the pleasant dining experience – in a cave.

Hinata started cleaning up the remnants of their dinner, "you don't have to thank me. I wanted to do it and enjoy cooking; I wish I got to do it more." She smiled at him and notice his cheeks flush – probably just like hers. "I usually only get to do it on missions or if I miss dinner at home."

"Well, you did an awesome job. I wouldn't mind having someone do that for me."

She turned to look away, hiding her face and blush. "I'll cook for you anytime," she whispered.

A few minutes later, the two young Shinobi found themselves staring at the fire, neither was looking at the other – both lost in thought.

" _Fuck me, backward, running sideways. I have to tell her that I kicked Hyūga's collective asses – including her father."_ Naruto was dreading having to tell her everything and would rather face, war, resurrected Kage and the source of all chakra with only one-arm, instead of coming clean with Hinata. She terrified him, the fact that she could cripple him with a few pokes of a finger was not the problem. He was afraid of losing her as a friend and someone he can remain close. Out of anyone in the world, Hinata was the person whose opinion mattered most to him.

Hinata for her part had her own set of questions, mostly stemming around how they came to be in the cave, the last she remembered was telling a Hyūga elder, 'fuck you' and then being attacked. After that, everything went blank. Until waking up in the cave, throwing herself at the blond who was sitting across from her.

"Hinata-chan…"

"Naruto-kun…"

They both spoke at the same time trying to get the others attention. Each blushed and gave an oddly uneasy chuckle to the other.

"Please ladies, first."

While she appreciated the politeness, she wanted answers and to hear what he had to say. "Please, go ahead Naruto-kun. I _insist_." She left him no room to argue, and she spoke in a way that let him know that she would not take, _no_ for an answer.

It did not go unnoticed, _"she can be really scary when she wants. I better not mess this up."_

"Umm, well… I…" He found that all the words left his mind.

" _Focus, dumbass, and just tell her."_ His little passive-aggressive pep talk didn't do much as his heart pounded in his ears. Her eyes firmly planted on him with a curious look that he couldn't help to find adorable. The fire snapping and crackling with small sparks flaring out on occasion.

Clearing his throat. "You know me, probably better than anyone." He paused a moment looking for a reaction but got nothing, "you also know I'm not the best with words. Ya know." His nervous tick kicked in.

Hinata noticed the phrase at the end of his statement and instantly knew he was nervous but wasn't sure why. " _Why is he so nervous, sure I saw him cry earlier, but it's not like he hurt me or anyone else without absolutely needing to."_

"Look, I'm just going to come clean with you and ask that you hear me out. Alright?"

She raised an eyebrow but only gave him a nod. Hinata's exterior was calm, but on the inside, her mind was racing, and her pulse was sky high with anxiety.

"Please, Naruto-kun, just say what you have to say. No matter what it is, we are just talking." She gave him a small smile trying to comfort him.

Taking a deep breath, "You are probably wondering how we came to be here. Well, Kurama – you know the fox sealed inside of me."

"Yes, I spoke to Kurama-kun a few times while you were in the hospital."

Her statement just about knocked him on to the floor, and he nearly fired off a series of questions but held himself back.

"Oh, well we will need to talk about that next."

She giggled a bit, knowing that Naruto had no idea about a conversation with the fox spirit.

"Well, the fox told me – in a roundabout way – that you were in trouble and to be honest I actually felt something going on too but wasn't sure of who, what or why. But when he told me it was you; I woke up." He paused and looked at her, "so I guess I should say thank you for that."

He hart leaped into her throat, but before she could react further, the blond started to talk again.

"I took off in search of you. As I said earlier and you now know, I was holding onto a ton of guilt over what happened to you over the years. I figured out that you were in the Hyūga compound, but I also felt your chakra was not right."

Naruto held up a hand when he saw her about to say something. "Please let me finish while I can," he paused a moment. "Hinata I broke into your home and assaulted your family, including your father." He just blurted out the words without really thinking. "They wouldn't tell me anything when I said something felt wrong with your chakra and then I found you tied up like an animal going to slaughter." His tone was angry, "someone put a seal on you that suppressed your chakra."

The memory of seeing Hinata tied up and laying on the ground consumed Naruto and reliving the memory brought about many feelings. A few stray tears ran over the whisker marks on his cheek.

Hinata was shocked to the say the least, not so much that he had 'assaulted her family,' she was angry with them. But she was touched that Naruto had risked so much. Any of the Hyūga could have killed him with a single strike - especially her father or elders.

"I might have broken your dad's arm; I know I beat the hell out of an Anbu with a bear mask."

Hinata knew exactly who Naruto was referring too and was not going to be upset over Koga getting his ass kicked.

"I took you and broke out of there and ran to hide here." He honestly didn't really remember what had happened except for a few high points, the grand details didn't matter. All he did know was that he was in trouble when they went home.

"I'm really sorry Hinata, I hope you can forgive me." He hung his head in shame, "but if you can't or don't want anything else to do with me, I'll leave and never bother you again." His confession didn't lift the weight, it actually seemed more crushing, and his stomach was churning in a very uncomfortable way.

The silence was deafening, and Naruto took it as a sign for him to leave.

"I see," there was a long pause. I'll go, and I promise you will never see me again."

He began to talk away, "for what it's worth, you were a great friend and one of the nicest people I have ever known. I hope you find someone to make you happy Hinata."

Contrary to the blonde's interpretation of the silence, Hinata was not upset or angry at him. She was shocked, of course – shocked that he risked so much for her. His words were a bit delayed in her processing of them, but once she heard and understood them. She snapped to her feet and tackled Naruto to the ground.

The pair wound up opposite to the way they were earlier, Hinata straddling Naruto. She looked down at him with glistening eyes that held unshed tears.

Naruto for his part kept his arms down; he was ready for her to beat him or kill him if she wanted. He had wronged her and her clan. He would accept any punishment and would do so without hesitation.

Hinata held his shirt with clenched fists, her knuckles somehow were whiter than her normal skin tone. Her eyes seemed to glow in the mixture of fire and first moonlight.

"Go ahead, I won't fight you. Beat me, kill me, whatever you wan…." His words sounded of defeat but were cut off when she silenced him with a kiss that was nothing less than a deep and passionate kiss. Her hands moved from his shirt to his face – holding him still. Her long dark hair flowed down over his face like a waterfall as she moved and changed kissing positions.

His body reacted to her instantly and decisively – despite how much guilt he had been feeling, it had other ideas. Their tongues danced and played for dominance, both enjoyed being on either side of the battle waged in their mouths.

She felt him and moved her hips in a rolling motion, eliciting a groan from him and a hand on her hip.

They finally broke apart as breathing became essential again. Their faces were so close, they could feel the other's breath on their skin.

Hinata gave Naruto's cheek a light smack, "don't you ever say that again."

For his part, he didn't know what he should not say again, "what part? I kinda said a lot. Ya know."

She narrowed her eyes and took hold of his chin, staring into his eyes. "The part about, me never seeing you again." She squeezed him jaw a bit with a strength that he wasn't expecting from the young bluenette. "Promise me that you never avoid me or hide from me because you are afraid of what I might do or say." Her voice cracked, "promise me that we will always be friends at least." Her words were falling over him, just like the rain that was hitting him.

"Hinata, I'm sorry," he paused for a moment. "Yes, I promise we will always be friends or more then friends if you want." His words were genuine, he was touched she wasn't angry and was upset about him leaving.

"I love you, Naruto-kun. I always have, and I always will, no matter what happens."

"How can you say that? Did you hear what I did to your father? To your family members? I mean, I would have…"

Hinata moved her hand over his mouth. "You don't understand. You saved me… again." She sighed. "The elders were going to apply the Caged-Bird Seal, and then I was going to be forced to marry some stranger from the Land of Tea."

Naruto's anger spiked, but Hinata kissed him again for a few moments – melting away his rage for the moment.

"I would have killed myself, instead of marrying a stranger or not being a Shinobi of the Leaf. You saved me – you are my golden-haired hero. Please don't think I am angry, because I am not. You have always been so kind to me and encouraged me. I could never hurt you or hate you, Naruto-kun."

The young man was stunned, relieved, confused, and was at a total loss for words.

"I know how much you have suffered, and I want the chance to give you something that you have wanted and deserve."

Naruto continued to look at her. "What's that, Hinata-chan?"

She giggled at him, "to love you, you-goof-ball. I want to give you love and happiness. And to walk with you always."

He wasn't sure how to react or what to say, and his face told her as much.

"How about we start off small, let's take a vacation together. Then we will go back to the village and face whatever is waiting… together." Hinata spoke in a sweet gentle tone.

They began kissing passionately, their hands hesitantly started roaming. Hinata felt Naruto's reaction to her the whole time they were speaking and started to slowly grind against him again.

The blond groaned and held onto her with his only hand. Moving his hand up her hip, it slipped under the hem of her shirt. His fingers touched soft, smooth skin moving toward her breasts. But his hand stopped when his fingers felt something different. It was a change in the texture of her skin. His mind became curious as to why her skin changed under her right breast.

Hinata could feel him and knew exactly what he was thinking and touching. It was the scar from the Pain attack years go. She broke their kiss, and without a word, sat up; his hand fell away. She only hesitated a moment before taking hold of the bottom of her shirt and pulling it over her head in a swift motion. Once the garment was dropped on the cave floor, she crossed her arms over her ample bosom.

Naruto's eyes drank in every centimeter of her bare chest and body before she crossed her arms, but his eyes were drawn to a nearly perfect ring and the scared skin contained within. He instantly knew what, how, and when she received the injury and was sure there was a similar blemish on her back. He sat up and placed a kiss on the spot and held her tightly.

"I didn't know. I should have known. I didn't even visit you or check on you afterward."

She held him tight to her chest. "It's fine. I would do it again and take another scar for you." She nearly said more but felt it wasn't needed at the moment. They both knew the truth and what it all meant.

He kissed her lips again and then the scar, then her lips. She moved her arms and let him see her bare breasts, it was a bit odd that they could share such intense moments but then go back to being intimate and loving toward each other. Both noticed the paradigm but didn't seem to be bothered by it. Hesitation seemed to fade as he took one of her nipples into his mouth, giving it a small nibble. While using his index and middle fingers to apply pressure to the other. Fully taking hold of her right breast and kneading it, the feeling was so new, he couldn't help trying different things. Naruto was the apprentice of a world-renowned _erotic_ novelist after all and had learned many things on his trip years ago.

Hinata, for her part, was swimming in a sea of pleasure, Naruto's touch was driving her wild – ideas were running through her mind. She felt some hesitation, of course, but she wanted to make things progress. But she wanted to be sure about his feeling towards her. Sure, they were making out like a pair of horny teenagers and would give herself to him without a second thought, but she wasn't sure about him.

Breaking their kissing, looked him in his azure colored eyes, they showed her passion and lust. Her face was flushed as was his, they were both panting heavily. A glistening of sweat on their skin. Naruto's hand was still holding her boob, though it was not moving.

"I'm sorry, did I do something wrong?" He quickly pulled his hand away, "we were… you know and I…"

She placed a finger on his lips and smiled, "no, I was enjoying it. I can tell you were too." She wiggled her butt slightly, which elicited a groan from the blond.

"You know how I feel about you, Naruto-kun. I just want you to understand your feels for me and that you are sure about them. We don't want to move things in a way that either of us might resent or regret." It pained her to say those words, but she had to be sure for both of their sake.

"Hinata, I don't know what to say." He moved his hand from her chest and wrapped it around her. "You have always been so kind to me, and I was a fool to be blind to it, but you know what happened to me and how I grew up." His words were sad, but he knew he could be open with her as he was earlier, "And I don't know how to say this, but.."

Her heart sank when he said the word 'but.'

"…I think that I did all those things to bring us here because deep down something knew how you felt about me, and I think I have those kinds of feelings too." He noticed her face changed and seem to have a sense of relief. "Please don't think I'm saying these things to you, because of what we were just doing. You are too important to me, to abuse that kind of trust, and I want to explore all of these feelings with you."

"Oh, Naruto-kun, I want the same thing and I will be here for you. We can take things slow if you want and explore everything together."

"I remember what you said when you were fighting Nagato, and you are the only person to say those words to me, even to this day. I don't know what it's supposed to feel like to be loved or love anyone or how to love anyone. I do know that I feel something when I'm with you, and I have never felt before. So, if you're willing to be patient with me. I want to see where things go from here."

Hinata was elated and excited that Naruto wanted to be with her, and she was willing to explore a relationship.

They kissed and snuggled with less lust but more of a romantic and tender way for how long neither knew nor cared.

Eventually, they settled into a sleeping bag together. Naruto held Hinata tightly, her ear pressed against his chest. The beating of his heart lulled her to sleep, and he realized that having her held so closely was going to be the only way he could relax moving forward.

What the next day brought, neither knew, but they would face it head-on.

/** end chapter 6 **\

* * *

 **A/N:** First of all, I want to apologize for the delay in getting this chapter out, the class I was taking over the summer was brutal and time consuming. Plus, I started teaching for a university, so that took time to get ready. Anyway, I want to give a special thank you to SocialSuicideGirl for taking time to send me some very detailed feedback and insights into the story. I suggest everyone take a few minutes to read her latest one-shot – it was very good.

I am not saying that I don't appreciate everyone else who has reviewed or send me PM's, because I do like hearing from everyone. Hopefully everyone continues to enjoy this story and if there are suggestions, please send me a PM. Also, it is awesome the number of favorites and follows to this story, hopefully this chapter will keep it going.

One last point that I want to make clear and hopefully I didn't loss some people. This story is NOT not going to be a "peeing" lemon series, yes some might be able to argue with the first scene. It was an experiment that some of my discord friends were talking about - writing something that you normally would not write. Along with that, writing to accommodate a single hand is really challenging too. If anyway was bothered or offended by material, please know, I don't indent anything malicous - it's just a story.


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